Forgotten Memories
by mafuyu hotaru
Summary: Sakura is a fashion-ista, one of the top designers in Japan. Xiao Lang is a mobster, leader of the underground factions of the Japanese Yakuza. She did it in memory of her best friend. He did it as a form of revenge against... continued in chapter 1.
1. Chapter 1

Synopsis:

Sakura is a fashion-ista, one of the top designers in Japan.

Xiao Lang is a mobster, leader of the underground factions of the Japanese Yakuza.

She did it in memory of her best friend.

He did it as a form of revenge against his Chinese brethren.

The days of their running together in search of the Clow cards have been long forgotten.

A scary twist of fate brings the two back together into a now dangerous world of magic, and it is all they can do to stop it, and try to remember what was lost all those years ago, before it's too late…

A/N: Hello guys! Here is my first attempt at writing CCS fan fiction. I read the story a few days ago for the first time and loved the cute but simple story. I have read a couple fics myself now, and hope to be successful with mine. I am going to try to encompass as many of their childhood characteristics as possible, however they are adults now. Some characters are gone, so please don't shoot me. This is not going to be a cheerful fic anyway. Kenshin readers, I'm not stopping those fics I swear! I just needed to start this one because of inspiration, and I will work on those soon, hopefully. I hope you enjoy it and please give me all your thoughts!

Rating: M – For Violence, Language, and Sexual Content.

Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura, or any of its characters. I am not basing this on the anime, but the manga.

oOoOo

Loud music pounded from the stage as Kinomoto Sakura ran around checking all of the clothes on her models, making sure the quick changes were smooth, the makeup perfect, the shoes a match. As the founder and designer of pInkblossoms, she wanted everything to be exactly as it should. She turned down the offer from her assistant to simply sit up front and watch. She had worked too hard to risk her creations being flawed.

"Irene, you're up!" The tall half-Filipino model moved to the spot she needed to be before she made her way out to the runway. Her couture clothing was flawless. The blue dress trailed behind her as she made her walk down the runway, sashaying her hips just so, before turning around and heading back for the start of the grand finish.

Sakura had the last set ready to go. The outfits on the girls, modified for an adult, were replicas of the remaining relics she had left from her childhood friend Daidouji Tomoyo. They were her special line: pInkblossomsDT. Every show she would have three of four of these special outfits created. These outfits were never remade, and sold for very high prices. Daidouji Tomoyo had died of leukemia when the girls had been eighteen, and Sakura had promised her friend that she would allow her memory to live on by creating clothes, Tomoyo's favorite thing to do in life. All proceeds from the special line went towards cancer research, as would the proceeds from this show.

Pulling out of her thoughts, Sakura heard the hiss of stage fog floating across the stage, and signaled the first of the models to head out. Sakura caught a glimpse of Daidouji Sonomi, Tomoyo's mother, out in the crowd. The woman never missed a single show. After the last model had made her run, there was a round of applause as the music came to an end. The show had been perfect.

Sakura sighed in relief, '_I hope you are smiling above, Tomoyo-chan._' She silently thought before heading out to the runway for her own bow of thanks.

The lights shined upon her lightly tanned figure, as Sakura walked to the end of the runway, and set a perfect smile on her face, "Thank you, everyone, for coming to the third annual DT show. I would like to thank everyone who helped to make it happen. The pInkblossomDT line will be up for auction shortly. Again, all proceeds from today go towards the research of cancer, and are much appreciated. If you would like to make a donation, you may at the booth on your way out, or online at our website. Again, thank you, and goodnight!"

Bowing a final time, Sakura walked off the runway, and immediately went to Sonomi. The older woman wrapped Sakura in a hug, a few tears in her eyes, "Thank you so much Sakura. I know Tomoyo would be so happy right now."

"Sonomi-san, I love doing what I do, and it's all thanks to her. It's all I can do to try and have her memory live on." Giving her another hug, she said, "But I need to go backstage now and make sure everything is getting cleaned up, I'll see you at the after party tonight alright?"

"Sure no problem honey, see you there!" With a cheerful smile and a wave, Sonomi made her way to the exit. Despite the somber topic of Tomoyo, they always made it a happy one. She knew her best friend would be very upset if they were sad forever. Only a few weeks after the funeral, Sakura had brought out the clothes that Tomoyo had made for her since their elementary school days, and started pInkblossoms. Sakura soon discovered that she loved designing some of her own clothes herself, and it didn't take long for someone to notice. Instead of pursuing university, at the age of eighteen, she moved to Tokyo's Harajuku district and began her work.

Returning to the back, her assistant, Kasumi, ran up to her, "There you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

"I was talking to Sonomi-san," Sakura replied.

"I should've known! You always do! Anyway, things are going smoothly back here. We have the DT dresses already packaged and ready to go, and all of the other outfits are on their way back to the office. They should be on sale in our stores tomorrow so you have nothing to worry about.

Smiling, Sakura said, "Thank you Kasumi-san! I can't believe how lucky I am to have an assistant like you! I'm going to head upstairs to get ready for the party tonight. I'll see you there alright?" Cheerfully, Sakura left the ballroom her show had taken place in, and walked to the elevators. Punching the 'up' button, she waited for the elevator to arrive.

The sliding doors opened and Sakura stepped aside to let a tall, dark haired man exit the elevator. His amber eyes glanced at her, as people tend to do, and then he continued on his way. Sakura stared at his back a moment, before entering the elevator. She had never seen eyes as colorful as his, aside from her own bright green. Shrugging it off, she made sure the twentieth floor was selected and the elevator made its way up.

oOoOo

Leaving the hotel, Li Xiao Lang entered a waiting black car. As he slid into his sit, he saw the person he was meeting sitting across from him, "Hello, Tanaka-san. For what business do I owe the pleasure of your call?" The man had dark glasses on and a hat, so his features were not quite clear.

"Dirt," Were the only words the guest said.

The car was shifted into gear, and began to drive through the congested streets of Osaka. Xiao Lang knew the driver was not driving them anywhere in particular, but driving around made the meeting much easier.

"I need someone taken care of. Discreetly," Tanaka said, "I want it to seem as if he just disappeared."

"And payment?" Xiao Lang asked. He never took care of dirty work like that without high payment.

Smiling a crooked smile, the guest replied, "I have some information for you… for that special project."

Narrowing his eyes, he leaned forward, "And how would you know anything of my special project?"

"Everyone knows that a Chinese man would never join the Yakuza, let alone become a head figure in it, without just cause. All I will say is that I overheard some Chinese people talking and the things they were saying… concerned you. I figured I would do a little digging and I learned quite a bit of information regarding your past."

"And how could you possibly find information about my past that I would not already have access to? I have unlimited resources."

"Because, this information I found was in a place that no computer or intelligence could ever find it in. I highly doubt you would like to pass up this opportunity."

Xiao Lang crossed his arms across his chest, feeling the shape of his firearm under his coat, "And what if I don't find the information satisfactory?"

"If you don't like the information, I'm willing to give you a cash payment, just name your terms. I'll give you a little incentive for now, and when the job is complete, you'll get your payment." The man smiled again, "Driver, stop the car!"

The vehicle came to a stop, and Xiao Lang opened the door, "Have a nice day, Li-san, the name of your target is at the end of the tape." The man named Tanaka said, and tossed him a little tape as he left the vehicle.

Xiao Lang stared at the tiny object in his large hand. Shoving it into his pocket, he realized he was a good couple of blocks away from his hotel now, "Damn bastard didn't even have the sensibility to drop me off at the damn hotel!"

He began walking and silently observed the many people walking by. The city streets were full of pedestrians and he always made it a priority to observe everything he could. A flash of a bright green dress made him think of the shade of green he'd seen earlier; the green of elevator girl's eyes. The girl had been petite, but her pumps made her taller than she was. Her clothes were high quality, most likely name brand, and her bob cut had been styled without a hair out of place. He had not thought anything other than, '_Another rich guest,_' but something about her eyes had been familiar. Trying to think just gave him a headache and he resumed his observing people.

Arriving back at the hotel, he noticed a crowd of people in the lobby; many were filling out checks, and handing them to a person sitting at a table. He spotted a sign: pInkblossomsDT Cancer Fund.

He walked past them and went to the elevators, where he had been not a half hour earlier. Arriving at his floor, Xiao Lang went to his room and threw his jacket on his bed. Checking his gun, making sure it was ready to go, he placed it on his desk and pulled out some equipment, a tape recorder.

'_Who records things on tapes anymore these days??_'

However, his training had taught him to be ready for anything, so he carried old fashioned equipment with him too. Placing it in the tray, he hit play.

"_Do you know how he's doing these days?"_

"_Who?"_

"_Xiao Lang you ditz."_

"_Oooh, last I heard my brother was just prancing around on a high horse trying to get back at mom's people for what they did to him."_

"_Look, it's not his fault that the things him and that Kinomoto girl did ten years ago shouldn't have happened. It was right that the clan took care of the results." _

"_It honestly seemed kind of harsh to me. They could have at least given him a false memory or something. Those that got involved in Tomoeda probably have no clue what happened."_

"_Well the clan could not have left them without a year in their head, Xiao Lang was one person."_

"_Regardless, I think they should have just given him a fake memory, instead of dropping it. He suddenly spoke Japanese, he had a plane ticket stub in his trash, which we should have found, and a strange teddy bear."_

"_Look, we need to drop the subject. We're not in Japan to find your brother. He left us of his own free will. Let's just enjoy our vacation okay?"_

"Hey, you brought him up!" 

The client's voice broke in, _"Komatsu Ryuutarou."_

The tape came to an end. Xiao Lang was shaking in anger. His own _sister_ had come to the country without him knowing. The Li clan was at the top of the list for observation and they had come in without him knowing. How had that happened? Several things stood out to him though. They had mentioned a place called Tomoeda, a girl, and a teddy bear.

He reached for his cell phone, and made a call to his top assassin and gave him his job.

oOoOo

Staring at herself in the mirror, Sakura was satisfied with her appearance. She was wearing one of her own creations for the party, a light pink dress with a touch of Japanese tradition, an obi. The simple obi had little cherry blossoms along the border, and Sakura nodded. Her sandal-style pumps had little rhinestones creating a sparkle, and her hair was left down just brushing her shoulders. Her make-up was fixed to accentuate her features and bring them out.

Reaching for her purse, she slipped her cell phone in and grabbed her room key. As she made her way to the elevator, she saw the same man from this afternoon. Glancing at his dark looks, she smiled shyly, and then stared back at the doors. A soft 'ping' sounded as the elevator arrived and the two of them entered. Her phone went off as the doors shut, and Sakura pulled out the device, "This is Kinomoto," She said softly, not wanting to disturb her elevator friend, "Yes, I'm on my way down now. I had no intention of being late; I'll see you in a minute Kasumi-san."

Sakura got the distinct feeling that she was being stared at and caught the man staring her down with a fixed gaze, "I'm sorry if I disturbed you sir," She apologized and gave a small bow.

"No, you did nothing of the sort." Xiao Lang said, "Kinomoto-san."

Sakura blushed fiercely when he used your name, and was about to ask how he knew her name, but he stopped her, "You said your name on the phone. Sorry." He flashed a small smile.

At the moment, he was doing a perfect job of hiding a swirl of thoughts in his head. The tape had mentioned a girl by the name of Kinomoto. And he couldn't help but feel that her eyes were familiar, "My name is Li Xiao Lang." He secretly hoped for some recognition to come to her eyes, but he knew it would not come. When his family did memory swipes, they were good.

"Sorry! Kinomoto Saku-!" She was cut off as the lights in the elevator flickered and with a loud bang the box came to a sudden halt. That only light was a dim red light from the buttons, "What!? What's going on!?" She cried out. Pulling out her cell phone, she immediately dialed her assistant, "Kasumi-san! The elevator broke! I don't know what to do it's all dark and scary in here!" Despite the fact that Sakura was a full grown adult of 20 years, she was still easily scared, even by something small.

Xiao Lang, meanwhile, had remained calm, and was pleasantly amused by the woman's fear. She continued to babble on the phone, "Well… there's someone in here with me so I'm not by myself but I'm still scared Kasumi-san!!"

Sakura heard Kasumi say that she was going to get someone from the hotel to get it fixed, and that she would be out of there in no time, "Okay… Kasumi-san… but hurry!"

She hung up the phone, and started to pace around nervously. Looking up, she saw Xiao Lang staring at her with something like amusement, "You think this is funny!? We're trapped in the elevator!"

"Are you afraid of the dark or something? It's gonna be fixed soon." He said.

Anger flashed, "Don't make fun of me! It's not my fault I get scared so easily. This stuff is just creepy!"

"Think about it Kinomoto-san, this is an elevator. They get stuck all the time in the world, and people get out just fine. It's not something terrible." Xiao Lang's senses were on high alert, he felt like he was being watched. He glanced up to the ceiling to see a small wire running along the edge, '_What the hell?_'

He reached up and ran his finger along it until it ended at a small black dot, about the size of a one-yen coin. He yanked it out of the corner and studied it a moment, then threw it to the floor and crushed it. This was not a simple elevator camera. It was high quality and meant to be hidden, "We need to get out of here."

"What!? Of course we need to get out of here! I have a fashion line to worry about and a party to attend!"

'_Great… I'm stuck with one of them._'

"Now. Right now. We're being watched and I wouldn't be surprised if this was set up." He grabbed his own cell phone and pulled the back of it apart, seeing what he was hoping wouldn't be there. A tap. He pulled it out and put the phone back together.

Sakura watched as the man somehow managed to lift himself up to the ceiling and kick out the panel. He stuck his head out and noticed someone trying to pry open the elevator doors a floor above, "Crap," He mumbled. The way things were going, it looked like someone was trying to get him killed, and if that were the case, any witnesses would be to, '_The girl._'

He pulled himself completely out of the elevator as Sakura cried, "What are you doing?!"

"Getting you out of here," Was all he said as he reached his arms down to grab her, "Jump up and grab onto me." Sakura hesitated, "Just do it Damnit!"

"Okay!" She finally said, and grabbed onto his arms. As if the weight were nothing, Xiao Lang pulled her up and onto the top of the elevator.

"Trust me," Was all Xiao Lang said as he wrapped his hand up in his jacket and grabbed onto one of the wire cables for the next elevator, and jumped down. Sakura screamed, a gun went off, and Xiao Lang was sliding down.

He landed on the top of an elevator as it was making its way up to its destination. Sakura's eyes were clamped shut and she refused to watch what was going on. She was trembling in fear and all she wanted to do was go back to her one room apartment and Tokyo and hide under the covers.

Xiao Lang kicked in the panel to the elevator, and heard a shocked scream as the panel landed on the ground. He jumped in, Sakura in tow, and looked at what floor they were on. He hit the button for the next one, and without a second glance at the people inside, exited when it stopped. He ran down the hall, Sakura running as fast as she could since he would not let go of her hand. Her shoes made it difficult. Xiao Lang saw a sign for the stairs and sighed when he saw they were only on the tenth floor. Sakura was slowing him down. He swung her over his shoulders, "What are you doing!? Why are we running!?"

"Shut up girl, I'm going to keep you alive so just do what I say."

"Who are you?!" Instead, he paused long enough to hit a pressure point in her neck, and knocked her out. He made a phone call while running down the steps, "Hey, I've got people on me. Get a car now. Back stairs." He hung up and threw the phone down the rest of the stairs, hearing it break apart. They were about three flights away from the bottom when he heard the gunshots above. One flew past his ear, "Damnit." Xiao Lang knew he should have left the girl somewhere, but the camera had seen her with him, so she would just get killed anyway. He could not risk her if she was the girl that his sister had mentioned. Gunshots kept ricocheting of the walls and stairs, and it was all he could do to try and avoid them. Finally at the exit, Xiao Lang pushed the door open and hopped into a waiting car. As they were driving away, Xiao Lang saw three men exit and attempt to shoot up the car. They rounded the corner just in time.

--

Alright guys! What do you think? I hope you enjoy it. Do you like how Sakura is still a scaredy cat? I hope you guys are intrigued by my story. Please let me know what you think I will greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

-Hotaru


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: FYI, I have no knowledge how private flying works, so I'm just sort of going with it. Please forgive me if I'm wrong.

oOoOo

"Well?" A male voice questioned. Only the outline of his figure could be seen sitting at his desk. He had very dim lights on in his office.

One of the three standing in front of him stepped forward, "Sir, we were unable to apprehend them. He found out about the camera and ran."

Placing a finger in between his brows, the first said, "After all this careful planning, knowing that those two would be in the same hotel…" He stood, "You let them get away?!"

"I'm sorry sir! We may have got a shot, however. We found a small trail of blood up to the car they took off in."

Sighing, the man sat back down, "Well, that makes the situation a little better, but still not successful; at least they are together. If you _did_ manage to get one of them, we should be expecting a visit in the not too distant future. You are dismissed." The three bowed quickly, and made their way to the exit.

The man adjusted his pair of round-rimmed glasses and sighed again, "I hope everything is the way it should be before time runs out. I can't do this on my own. I need Sakura… the whole world needs Sakura." He ran his hand over the cover of a book, covered in low-relief designs, and then slid it into a drawer at his desk, and locked it.

oOoOo

Xiao Lang stared at the small puddle of blood that was forming around a wound in the girl's arm, '_Shit._' Fortunately, it was a shallow wound and to Xiao Lang's advantage, she was out. He gripped her small arm in his hand, and held a pair of large tweezers in his other. Without a single pause, he gripped the bullet in the wound, and pulled it out quickly.

Placing it into a plastic bag, he tossed the tweezers aside and reached for disinfectant and gauze padding. If the girl had been awake right now, she would have been screaming in pain no doubt. The Kinomoto girl had obviously never been in any real physical pain before, from the softness of her skin and the lack of scarring on her body. She would not know how to contain herself.

After cleaning the wound and wrapping it up to stop the bleeding, Xiao Lang glanced up to the driver, "Get us to the airport. We're flying to Tokyo."

"Yes sir!" The man said, and made a U-turn that very instant.

"I also need a new phone, and a bullet sent to our forensics guys. Make sure the mess at the hotel is cleaned up. Get all my stuff and this girl's out of the-" He was cut off by the ringing of a phone. He glanced down and saw the girl's purse as the source of the sound.

Digging around for a moment, he found his prize and saw the caller I.D., _Yoshizawa Kasumi_. Answering the phone, he said, "Is this Kasumi-san?"

"This is she and who the hell are you!?" The woman's voice declared, "Where is Sakura-san!? There were gunshots in the hotel, and when they opened up the elevator, she was not in there. Someone saw her running off with some guy!"

"Yoshizawa-san, calm down. Kinomoto-san is fine. I kept her from probably being killed today. We are en-route to the airport and I'm taking her back to Tokyo. It would be best if no one knew about this incident. Tell her little rich friends that she was taken ill and will return home tomorrow."

Kasumi became angry," Little rich!? Do you have any idea who Sakura-san is?! She is not ruled by the life of money! I'll be damned if I don't go to the police and say she was kidnapped!"

"_That_ would not be smart Yoshizawa-san. You go to the police; my people will make sure the search is cancelled before it is even started. For Kinomoto-san's sake, just keep this small. She is fine; I will make sure no one else attempts to hurt her. Once I find out who was after her, I'll take care of it and she can go back to her normal life, deal? Just cover for her in the meantime."

Xiao Lang thought it would be best if the assistant thought that someone was after her boss. It would just be easier. Too bad for this Kinomoto Sakura, she had probably only been a witness to an attempt on his own life, and she would have to deal with it. He hoped she was the girl who his sister had been talking about, and if that were so, things would go better.

"Yoshizawa-san?"

He waited for her answer, and knew she was probably thinking of a good answer, "All right, person I don't know. I better be able to talk to her soon! She better call me within twenty-four hours, and if she hasn't I'm going to the cops!" The woman hung up and the line went dead.

Shutting the cover of the pink device, he saw the little pink cherry blossoms decorating the front. A small logo was printed on it, _pInkblossomsDT_.

'_So she's probably the owner of that cancer fund. Guess she's not too bad after all._'

"Phone!" He told his driver. He needed to get inside his group.

The driver handed him a black device, and Xiao Lang studied it for a moment before dialing a number. The phone rang one, two times, and then there was an answer, "I need you to get a file with everything available on a Kinomoto Sakura. I want no details missing from the date of her birth to today. Send it to her apartment address."

"You'll get it sir."

Hanging up, he glanced down at the girl who was unconscious beside him. He didn't like the white wrappings that flawed the smooth lines of her skin. He thought, '_She has the prettiest skin…._' The way she was dressed made him think of something he'd seen before, but he could not place it and gave up as his head began to ache. He pulled up the plastic bag containing the bullet and looked at it through the blood coating it. He saw a small inscription on it and tried to read it. He looked in the first aid kit and found a magnifying glass.

The words enlarged, he was able to make out a C and a W. The rest of it was ruined from the gun shot. He hoped his forensics people would be able to get the rest of the phrase, whatever it said. If they didn't… god help them. This case was at the top of the list in priority, and he would not allow for failure.

oOoOo

_Sakura stared around herself. She was standing back home in Tomoeda. Her father was out, and she was looking at her ten year old self. As Sakura thought back on what she had been doing when she was ten, all that came to mind was just a simple year at school with the start of lots of new clothes from Tomoyo, and nothing out of the ordinary. However, here, little Sakura was in her father's study, looking at the bookshelves. The girl reached out for a book, and as she touched it, the scene faded away. _

_Now standing in the back of her elementary classroom, Sakura watched as her teacher introduced a new exchange student, Li Xiao Lang. He had amber eyes, and rich brown hair. The kid glared at someone in the classroom, and Sakura realized that he was glaring at her childhood self. Confused by that, the scene faded, just like the first one._

_Another day, and another student was being introduced, Hiiragizawa Eriol, from England. _

_A little stuffed animal._

_A pretty card._

_Clow._

Sakura sat up, breathing heavily, as she regained consciousness. A bright light had pained her in her dream, and was what she had just seen. The only thing she remembered from her painful dream was the name, Li Xiao Lang, and the name Clow.

And when she heard someone say, "Hey calm down, you're fine." She looked up and saw a pair of amber eyes that made her head hurt when she noticed them as familiar.

"Li Xiao Lang." She said. His eyes widened as he realized she flinched as she said the name. The girl grasped the sides of her head, trying to shake something off.

"Yes, that's my name. You're lucky, you know. A couple inches further and they would have got you in the chest."

Sakura glanced up at him, and looked confused. He pointed at her arm, and she glanced at the bandaging, "Why is my arm wrapped up? It doesn't hurt or anything."

Raising an eyebrow, Xiao Lang leaned forward and checked his wrappings. She had only been out for perhaps half an hour, and the arm should have been throbbing in pain. He gingerly placed pressure around where the wound was, and Sakura never hissed or squirmed in pain. Wrinkling his forehead, he decided to check the wound itself. Unwrapping the wound, Sakura watching, he was shocked to see that there were bloodstains on the gauze, but the wound itself had healed up, "What the hell?"

"Why is there blood on that!? Blood was touching my arm!" Sakura cried out, "I hate blood."

Xiao Lang glared up at her, "I don't know. But thirty minutes ago you had a gunshot wound on your arm and now it's gone, like magic."

The word magic made her bright green eyes flinch. Sakura herself experienced what felt like a powerful migraine, for some reason, when he had said the word magic, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" Sakura said, shaking it off, "Can you please explain to me what is going on? Why are we driving up to the airport?"

Studying her, he said, "We were shot at in the hotel. You must remember the incident that happened," She nodded, "Alright, well, I think someone's after me, and unfortunately, you got caught up into it. I'm going to tell you now, that I am in charge of an organization. If I had left you there, you'd probably be killed since you are a prime witness. And… for some reason, you may have a connection to something I am looking for. So we are going to the airport now, returning to Tokyo, and from there, going to Tomoeda."

As they neared the drop off zone for outgoing flights, Sakura nodded and then glanced out the window, her thoughts in a swirl, '_To think I had to get caught in something like this… it's too much. But for some reason, I'm not scared. He makes me feel safe. He's so familiar…_' But as soon as she thought about why he might be familiar, her head began to ache again, '_Why does my head hurt like that??_' Mid-thought, she passed a car, and it had a label on it: CLOW Corp.

"Clow!" She exclaimed out loud, without realizing it. Her words caused Xiao Lang to glance at what she was looking at. The font on the label looked very familiar. His amber eyes glanced to the bullet in the bag, and pulled it back to him with the magnifying glass. The two 'C's were in the same font.

"When you get the bullet examined, you check the CLOW Corp. first for an I.D. got it?!" He snapped at his driver.

"Yes sir!" He pulled up to the terminal, "We are here sir. You should have your luggage as well as the lady's when you get to Tokyo." Xiao Lang got out of the car and reached a hand down to Sakura, "Come on."

Sakura refused to take his hand, and got out of the car on her own, "How are we supposed to get through without our I.D.s? I left everything at the hotel."

"Don't worry about it. Don't ask questions. It'll go more smooth if you know less."

Looking around, Sakura felt out of place, dressed as she was. Xiao Lang was wearing a black coat over black clothing, nothing fancy. Everyone in the whole airport, except for employees, was dressed for comfort. Glancing down at her, the man seemed to notice her discomfort, "Are you cold or something?"

Sakura did not have too far to look up, her heels adding some much needed height, "I'm fine." She began to walk forward as if she owned the world. Xiao Lang shook his head and removed his coat, placing it over her shoulders, "You don't even know where you are going." The girl flushed. Xiao Lang reached for one of her shoulders and towed her along as they headed over to the check-in areas.

Instead of going to an airline, Sakura was surprised to find that they were going to the private terminal. Sakura did not own a private jet, preferring to just fly normally, so this was new to her. Everything happened in a rush. She was so nervous about everything that was going on that they were standing inside a very nice plane before she knew it.

Searching her purse, not sure why she had not thought to do so earlier, Sakura pulled out her cell phone, preparing to dial Kasumi. Xiao Lang pulled the device out of her hand, "I already spoke to someone on the phone. We are about to take off, so don't worry about that." He placed it in his pocket and Sakura glared at him.

"Why can't I speak with my own assistant? I don't know who you are aside from your name. Why should I even trust you?"

Xiao Lang pulled up the sleeves of his shirt subconsciously, and said, "Because you should if you know what's best for you."

Sakura was entranced by what she saw though. His left arm was covered in a sleeve tattoo. It was beautiful in the intricate detail that she could see. All she saw was his forearm, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from it; it was beautiful. And as she stared at his arm, it dawned on her, "You're yakuza."

"What if I am?" Xiao Lang said, studying the girl.

"You're Chinese."

Sighing, he said, "The yakuza accept everyone. Nationality does not matter."

Sitting back in her seat she looked out the window, finally able to tear her eyes from his body art, "I see." She could not and would not argue with him anymore. The yakuza were dangerous, and she had no idea how far in this guy was, '_Obviously pretty high up considering the ride…_'

"Buckle up, we're taking off." Sakura nodded and did what she was told, as if a robot, and then ignored him.

Xiao Lang was analyzing her. Her reaction was not quite what he had expected. He was used to an open anxiety when people found out what he was, which she had. Most people would duck away in fear. Sakura had simply ignored him. What had shocked him the most was that she had been fascinated by the tattoo. The girl had not flinched upon seeing it, just looked drawn to it.

His left arm was covered in many Chinese phrases, ones that he had learned as a child studying martial arts. He had chosen to be superstitious in his choosing, and went with protection and strength. Woven in between were dragons, their detail delicate but strong. Shaking his head, he watched as she nodded off, and waited for a phone call.

Meanwhile, Sakura's thoughts were in turmoil. She would have normally been scared out of her mind. Tomoyo had always told her stories of the yakuza that had terrified her. Whenever the bikes of the gangs were outside a store, the two had never gone in. The girl always was scared silly. But for some reason, the usually easy to scare girl was not so scared. She was simply awed.

oOoOo

_Sakura looked around her familiar bedroom. It looked the exact same way it did when she left at eighteen. Her father was away on a dig, so the house was all hers for her brief stay. Her brother had moved to Kyoto for university studies, and had remained there after graduating. She saw a shadow cross the room and suddenly, Tomoyo was sitting there._

"_Hey Sakura-chan! Long time no see!"_

"_Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura exclaimed. Her friend's long black hair flowed freely down her back._

_Her friend pursed her lips, "I'm disappointed! I expected you a long time ago."_

_Sakura rushed towards Tomoyo, "What do you mean?" Kneeling down in front of her, she grasped her hands, "You are gone…"_

_Soft laughter escaped Tomoyo's lips, "Silly Sakura. I'm right here. I've been here all along; your mind simply hasn't allowed it."_

"_I'm confused…" Sakura whispered._

"_You know, that Li Xiao Lang turned into such a hunk."_

"_How do you know about him?"_

_A serious look came into Tomoyo's eyes, "Sakura, your mind has been in a trap. You must set it free. Something happened that loosened it… but it is not enough. You have to do the rest. As for Xiao Lang, it should be much easier for him, he just doesn't know it."_

"_What are you talking about? Tomoyo-chan, I've missed you! Why did you have to go?" Sakura hugged Tomoyo._

"_Sakura, I love the clothes. Just the way I imagined them to be." She looked up, "Well, I guess it's time for me to go now, but I'll be back." Standing, Tomoyo turned to look down at her, "Oh, by the way, when you get scared, just hide under the bed, and you'll find that your fear goes away." Winking, Tomoyo disappeared. _

oOoOo

A jolt woke Sakura up as the plane hit the runway.

"Awake?"

Looking up, Sakura saw Xiao Lang staring at her. Shaking sleep from her eyes, Sakura nodded, "I guess so." The dream was still fresh in Sakura's mind, as if it were a memory instead of a dream, clear as a bell.

The plane taxied along the runway before coming to a stop; she saw a black car waiting for them below, "Let's go." He reached over and pulled her up.

Next thing Sakura knew, she was whisked away and they were in the car. They began driving and she watched as Xiao Lang began talking with the driver.

"Updates?"

"Yes sir. The inscription on the bullet was traced back to a company by the name of CLOW Corp. There was a strange substance coated on the bullet that we have yet to trace. It seems to be homemade and that's why we're having difficulty." The driver pulled a phone out and without turning his eyes from the road handed it to Xiao Lang, "Here's your new phone. We still don't know how someone managed to get a tap in your cell."

"Obviously a mole you idiot," Xiao Lang snapped.

"Of course sir," The driver continued, "We will look through our archives and figure out who might be a likely candidate. Anyone connected to the CLOW Corp. will be investigated and taken care of if found out. The mess was cleaned up; no traces are left. We have the luggage in the car."

"Good," Xiao Lang nodded, then turned to Sakura, "Her address?"

"I have it here sir. We are headed there right now."

"Don't expect to be staying long, we're stopping by to pick something up, and then we will go to Tomoeda."

Sakura interrupted, "Tomoeda? What do you mean we're only picking something up? I just want to go to home and forget this ever happened! I can't be connected to yakuza! I have an image to keep."

He flashed a powerful glare, "Watch your tongue. Once I find out the things I need to know, you'll get to go back to your silly things and forget I even exist." His phone rang, "Li."

Someone on the other line simply said, "Taken care of sir."

"Good. Have Tanaka contacted and my payment sent the address I forward you. I'll be out of town a few days, I expect things to be in order when I get back."

"Yes sir!"

He snapped the phone shut.

"What exactly do you do in the yakuza!?" Sakura asked. He seemed to have so much control over the people he spoke with.

Smirking, Xiao Lang answered, "I lead them."

oOoOo

Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I hope that the way I piece the puzzle together as I write makes sense. I appreciate the reviews I received for chapter one. I didn't expect so many for my CCS debut! I got almost 200 hits in less than a week! Just because Tomoyo is dead doesn't necessarily mean she's gone. She plays her own little role. And… hopefully next chapter I can make magic's debut. Trust me, this story is about to get quite a bit darker. Anyway, I just finished watching the series "First Kiss." I enjoyed except the ending was kind of lame. If you want something funny go watch it.

Well, that's all for you guys I'll try to update soon. Those who have spring break in the next couple of weeks have fun and be careful!

-Hotaru


	3. Chapter 3

Alright guys, thank you sooo much for the reviews and feedback first off. I'm so happy I have so many people reading and faving it so early on. This chapter is going to be pretty fast paced, with a lot of stuff happening, so I'm sorry if it's a little confusing. But things are finally starting to happen! I'm so excited to get this story really going. Anyway, here you go:

oOoOo

They drove down the streets of Tokyo in silence. It took a good hour to get out of the mess of Narita International Airport and into the heart of the city. Soon Sakura felt like she was in her own territory. However, her thoughts were aflutter. She had no idea what to do. The girl was riding in the car with a leader of one of the most notorious mafia gangs in the world; she was not scared.

'_Are you crazy Sakura? You should be terrified! What the hell is wrong with you?_' She thought to herself. She had remained silent since Xiao Lang's admittance to his position.

The car pulled up to a tall building, "Let's go."

Looking up, Sakura stared at the man's amber eyes, "Why?"

"We are going up to your house of course. I'll get your suitcase. You get some better clothes for the rest of our trip."

Nodding, Sakura placed her high-heeled foot out of the car and looked at her familiar apartment building. She heard the trunk slam shut as Xiao Lang had picked up her small travel suitcase. The girl did not want to ask any questions, feeling she already knew as much information that she wanted to know, "My keys are in the side pocket…"

Xiao Lang dug around and pulled out the small keychain, handing it to her, "Here. Time to go up. We're not spending a whole lot of time here."

Sakura led the way as they entered her building, and a man dressed in a suit greeted her, "Good afternoon Kinomoto-san! We weren't expecting you home so soon!"

"I came home early Tanaka-san. No need to worry. I'll just go up now."

The man nodded and pushed a button on the elevator, "Well I'm glad to see you home safe, have a good day, Kinomoto-san." The button rang and the doors opened. Sakura felt Xiao Lang's hand brush against the small of her back as he ushered her inside the box. It caused shivers to run up her spine, and not just shivers of pleasure but of strength.

The ride up was silent.

oOoOo

"_Kero-chan!" A small, orange ear twitched, "Kero-chan!"_

"_Go away," A small voice murmured, "I'm having a good dream."_

_Delicate laughter broke out, "You silly stuffed animal. It's time to wake up. You've been sleeping far too long. Don't you have someone you need to be with?"_

_An eye opened up, "Huh? No, I just need to sleep in my dreams."_

_Dark, curly strands of hair blew in front of the creatures face, "You only believe that you should be sleeping. But there is much more for you to be doing. The one who you protect has slowly started waking up from her own dreams. It's time for you too." _

"_Why?"_

_  
"Because Clow wants it to be so. His descendants somehow managed to freeze everything. But someone has set things in motion. And danger is coming soon. You must make sure your mistress is ready."_

_Both eyes opened, and the orange creature sat up from his little ball, "What do you mean? My mistress…"_

"_It's a pity you forgot. Fortunately for you, I am capable of fixing that. Unfortunately for her, it's going to hurt a lot. But when it's all over, everything will be fine."_

"_What's your name?"_

"_My name? Silly Kero-chan, it's Tomoyo!"_

oOoOo

A bright light could be seen glowing from the desk drawer. The entire office was dark and no one was about. A rattling sound was heard, and the glowing outline faded away. The drawer shot outward as it was forced open, and suddenly a creature flew out of its confines.

Glancing down into the drawer, Kero stared at the book of Clow Reed, "What has happened? Why was I in that book?" He poked at his forehead trying to remember something important. He was distracted by the sound of a key in the door. Looking about, Kero saw an air vent and dashed to it. He flew in just as the door opened and the lights turned on.

Kero saw a tall man with black hair and round-rimmed glasses. He looked startlingly familiar. He walked to the desk and froze when he saw his drawer open, "What??" Pulling out the book, he ran a hand over the cover, "Where have you gone, Kero-chan? Who set you free?"

Removing his glasses, the man sat down in his chair and rubbed his eyes, placing the book on the desk. The decorations on the book seemed to be diminished, "Hopefully it's not a bad thing…"

Kero flew away from the office and tried to find a way out of the building thinking, '_Sakura. That is who I must find!_'

oOoOo

Xiao Lang was surveying the girl's apartment while she was locked up in her room. He had noticed the spacious living room immediately. She definitely lived in style, with the wide windows and a simple, but luxurious décor. Hearing her move from one room to the other, and a shower turn on, the man turned to a counter in her kitchen and saw an envelope with a familiar label on it. This was what he had requested from his men.

Opening it, some papers slid out of the envelope and he grabbed the first one. Her name and photo were on it, along with her date of birth and the general details. He noticed her home town was Tomoeda. The town was a match from what his sister had said in the tape recording. Narrowing his eyes, he flipped to another page. It told of her entire history, every school she had been to, every place she had lived. A list of names who were closely involved with her was labeled, '_Kinomoto Fujitaka, father; Kinomoto Touya, brother; Tsukishiro Yukito, deceased; Daidouji Tomoyo, deceased._ Only four names and half were dead.

It looked like the Tsukishiro kid had died of some sort of disease around the time Sakura was ten, and Tomoyo only in the recent years. Sakura was in her early twenties now. Skimming down the rest of the list, he came up to a name that caught his eyes, Hiiragizawa Eriol. He had only been in Tomoeda for a year, if even, but it was when she was ten. The same year as the death of Tsukishiro, and the same year that Xiao Lang lacked memories of. This girl had to be the Kinomoto his family referred to. There was no mistake.

oOoOo

The sound of sheets rustling was the only indication that someone was in the gently glowing room. A monitor that was recording statistics of sorts was silently working. Another movement causes one of the lines to spike high, and a beep began to go off. Sharp breathing suddenly made itself known, and a door flew open as the lights flickered on.

Men dressed in white coats brought in a cart full of different pieces of equipment as they moved to the person struggling to breathe on the bed.

"Contact the President!" One doctor said as he pulled out his stethoscope, and placed it on the patient's chest, "His heart rate is responsive!"

"Unbelievable," Another person murmured. This doctor was placing small wires on the unconscious patient's shaved head. As he was doing so, another screen was reacting colorfully.

Before the doctors could do anything else, the young adult sat up in the bed, one silver, and one dark, wide open. He pulled at the tubes that were going down his throat, and somehow managed to pull them out. Tearing off another hose, he gasped for breath, "Judgment," He said his voice hoarse and barely heard.

"What happened!?" A man dressed in a dark suit entered, and saw the scene before him.

"We don't know, Hiiragizawa-sama! The monitor just started to go off, and his heart rate became normal and he has brain activity. Just look at him!"

The man with dark hair and round-rimmed glasses stared in astonishment, "Yue-san, you are awake!" He walked forward, and snapped at the doctors, "Get this stuff off him. Get all the equipment out!"

"Yes sir! Call us if you need anything sir!" The doctors grabbed everything and left.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed as the door shut, Hiiragizawa said, "Do you remember who I am?"

Still breathing heavily, he said, "You are Hiiragizawa Eriol, reincarnation of Clow Reed. We are Tsukishiro Yukito and Yue all the same."

"Amazing," Eriol responded, staring at the different colored eyes, "How is this possible?"

Staring at his own hands, he said, "We don't know. We remember something happening involving the power of Clow. All of a sudden, it faded away from us, draining us of our strength, nearly killing us in the process. But someone saved us, and here we are, but now one body and soul."

Smiling, Eriol said, "Well, I guess we need to figure out how to address you. You must adjust to having two minds as one. And finally, you are awake for a reason. It can only mean one thing. Someone is working for us, and has broken whatever seal the Li-clan placed on the power."

Shifting, Eriol stood, and allowed the guardian space to move.

When he looked up, his eyes were solid brown, "Why did Yue go away?" He asked confused.

"I guess he decided that sharing the body at the same time is tiring. This is interesting. I will get you something to eat, and we will work on getting you ready to go back to the public, and to your duty."

Silver eyes flashed momentarily, "No need to go searching for Sakura. She will come to us first. All we have to do is wait."

oOoOo

The hot water scalded Sakura as she sat in her tub, thinking. Xiao Lang was less than twenty feet away from her, in her home, and he was managing to get her to do whatever he wanted without complaint. Slamming her fist into the water, Sakura murmured, "Stupid Sakura! You should be telling him what to do, doing things on your own terms. This bastard has no right. I did nothing to him, and definitely did nothing to the yakuza."

Sakura was starting to feel a slight pressure on her head, but she shook it off as a result of the hot water, '_Alright, when I get out of the tub, I'm going to tell him to leave me alone and never come back. I don't have to go anywhere else with him._' As the seconds passed, the pressure continued to build up, and started to become a sharp pain, "Why does my head hurt…"

Standing up, Sakura swayed dizzily. She grabbed onto a rail, trying to steady herself. Suddenly, she could not contain it any longer. The pain became unbearable in an instant.

oOoOo

"AAAH!"

A piercing scream brought Xiao Lang out of the little biography he was reading. Sakura continued to scream, and he rushed towards her bathroom door, "Kinomoto, what's going on in there!?" However, the screaming didn't stop. And he decided he needed to check it out, whether she liked it or not.

He attempted to open the door, but it was locked tight. Sighing, he decided to force it open. He could get his people to fix it later on, "I'm coming in now!" He highly doubted she heard him, because she simply continued yelling, "It hurts! It hurts!"

The sight that met Xiao Lang's eyes was one of beauty and pain. The girl was sprawled on her knees, clenching her head as she leaned it against the bathtub. Her naked form was pink from the hot bath that was still steaming next to her. From behind, Xiao Lang got a small glimpse of the curve of her breast, before he shook himself out of it. Her fingers were clenched in her hair as some pain invaded her senses. Looking around, he spotted a towel, and grabbing it walked to her.

Wrapping her up in it, he picked her up and took her back to her bedroom, putting her on the bed. While doing all this, the yelling turned into murmurs, but she was still repeating the same thing, "It hurts." Tears were sliding down her cheeks, causing her face to become more flushed than it already was.

"What's wrong Kinomoto?" He tried to ask her, but Sakura ignored him. Her auburn hair looked much darker wet, he noticed, as he ran his hand through her hair trying to find a bump, thinking she had hit her head.

Forcing her face up to look at him, he checked her eyes. Her pupils looked fine, but her green eyes were glowing strangely, "What the..?" But he didn't have time to finish his phrase, because she passed out in front of him, falling back onto the bed, and Xiao Lang lost control of his mind, and blacked out.

oOoOo

"What is going on!?" A powerful wind was blowing inside the temple a group of people were in.

A tall woman dressed in traditional Chinese clothing stepped forward to answer the question asked, "Well obviously our seal was broken. That was the only seal capable of keeping the powers once released at bay. The fact that it is broken means only one thing," Her black eyes penetrated everyone's gaze, "The power we once concealed has been released."

"Why now? If the seal were going to be broken, why now, at least ten years after the incidents occurred?"

"Obviously, that power wants to attack and make its move. Unfortunately for my son, this means that he will now know everything that has happened in the past. Our seal that had protected the world from the evil entities, made us seal away all the magic from our distant relative. It looks like that time is over, and the time of magic has begun.

oOoOo

Well, I know this chapter is shorter than the previous one, but a whole lot of stuff happened huh? I would love to hear you guys' thoughts about it. I love it when I hear the different theories etc. So next chapter, I'm pretty sure you will be introduced to the official antagonist. I'm still working on getting a solid idea for him or her. So until next time! Hope all of you had great spring breaks, I know I did. Bye!

-Hotaru


	4. Chapter 4

oOoOo

A brisk wind blew down the street as a silent figure studied a tall apartment building in downtown Tokyo. The female's long, straight black hair fluttered as the wind played with it. Dark glasses shielded her eyes as she continued to look. Pink lips were lifted in a smile as if amused. The dark dress she wore was blowing gently around her long legs, and she softly said, in English, "So here you are, my descendant. I wonder how long it will be before we play?"

Her voice was musical, and if anyone heard it, they might have turned their heads to stare at her beauty. However, the street was surprisingly empty, so no one did, "It won't be long until that power that was stolen from me is returned you silly girl." A melodic laugh escaped her perfectly shaped lips, and she fluidly turned and walked down the street, "I _will_ have what was mine."

oOoOo

Xiao Lang saw red through his closed eyelids as he slowly became aware. Something had disturbed him from his deep slumber, and his brows furrowed in frustration. He was warm and comfortable on the soft surface he slept in. However, that annoying vibration that had awoken him came again. Realizing it came from his pocket, Xiao Lang sat up.

"Damnit." He reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out the device, and flipped it open, "What?"

"Sir, preparations have been made for you to go to Tomoeda, whenever you are ready we can get you."

Xiao Lang began to remember what had been going on during his long day and he was suddenly wide awake, "Be here in thirty minutes."

He hung up the phone, and took in his surroundings. He was in Sakura's bedroom. Glancing down, he saw the sleeping girl still barely covered by her towel, '_She looks delicious._' He thought. Shaking his head, he took note of what had caused her to be in such a scandalous predicament. Deciding to play it safe, he stood up and managed to cover her up decently. The towel had slipped enough that the swell of her breasts had been barely covered. Her smooth legs were still there for him to gaze at after he fixed the towel, but shook his head again. Heat had begun to pool in his groin, and this was not the time for him to get distracted by a beautiful girl.

Shaking her, he said, "Hey, Kinomoto, you need to wake up." The girl stirred but did not wake up. Sighing, he shook her harder until he saw her eyes fluttering, "Hey, wake up, and get dressed." Without another word, Xiao Lang left the room, and shut the door behind him.

oOoOo

Slowly coming to her sense, Sakura noticed a dim ache in her head. Sitting up, she rubbed her temples, her eyes still closed, '_What happened?_' Opening her green eyes, Sakura glanced down and noticed her naked body, "What!?" She had no clue how she had come to be in her bed, but Sakura knew Xiao Lang must have been responsible, '_He saw me naked!_' Her cheeks flushed bright red at the thought, and she quickly covered herself despite the fact she was alone. Getting herself together, she went to her closet and pulled out clothes.

As she was dressing, she began to think. She remembered she was in the bath, and was about to get out when she had been taken over by intense pain. The world had gone black soon after. The girl vaguely noted that Xiao Lang had come in and attempted to bring her out of her state, but Sakura had been too far gone to do anything.

Thinking harder, Sakura realized that the man no longer seemed like such a stranger. His amber eyes were familiar to her. And when she tried to remember why, the pain that usually came with such thoughts did not come. She remembered a boy with the same hair and eyes as him. He was being introduced in her elementary classroom. Sakura could not remember who he was, but all she knew was that he was there. And then the dream from earlier in the day came back to her, and she realized the boy was Li.

A knock came at the door, "Hey make sure you have all of your things. We're going to be in Tomoeda for a few days."

The rest of the day came back in full force, and Sakura rushed around gathering stuff, "I'll be ready in a minute." She threw enough clothing in her bag, and grabbed a pair of shoes. Zipping the bag shut, the girl finally looked in the mirror, and saw her hair was sticking up in several places, "That's what I get for falling passing out with a wet head."

Managing to tame the unruly hair, she straightened her blouse and skirt, and left the bedroom for the bathroom. Getting her makeup bag, she put her toothbrush and hairbrush in, and then put it in her duffel bag.

Walking into the living room of her apartment, Sakura saw Xiao Lang staring out the window, hands in his pockets, "I'm ready."

Turning around the man looked her up and down and it caused Sakura to blush, "How's your head? That was a pretty intense meltdown you had."

"Sorry, I don't understand what happened. We can go now…"

She grabbed her jacket as Xiao Lang did the same and they went to the front door. Sakura pulled on a pair of simple flat shoes, and had her keys ready to lock the door behind them. Xiao Lang opened the door, and ushered her out, as Sakura locked it behind them. Little did she know she would not be coming home to her apartment anytime soon.

oOoOo

Kero flew through the air ducts of the building he was in, trying to find a way out. As he continued his search, he felt a strange pull of power. It was very familiar, '_Yue_.'

Deciding his charge Sakura would be alright a little bit longer without him, Kero headed in the direction of the pull he felt. Stopping at an air vent, he glanced through the metal frame and saw a bald man sitting on a bed, pulling on a black shirt. The man seemed to sense his presence, and glanced up. Kero was met with a brown and silver gaze.

Kero managed to get through the vent, and flew in front of the man, "Yue?"

"Hello Kero." He said. His voice was strange to Kero's ears; a mixture of two familiar voices.

"What happened to your hair Yue?"

One eye changed to silver, so the eyes matched, "Well, apparently I've been asleep on the verge of death for over ten years. They kept my hair shaved so they could do some tests on my brain every day. It should grow back soon." Kero noted that there was already a light fuzz of hair a few millimeters long growing, "What are you doing in this building?"

"I was in the book. It was kept in a desk, and here I am. It has been ten years?"

Nodding, Yue continued, "I haven't been completely informed of what's been going on, but apparently, the Li clan suppressed all the magic, which is why we were asleep. When my power left Yukito's body, he was left in the coma. I don't know why the power is here again, or why it was even suppressed, but something bad is about to happen. You can feel it can't you? The ominous feeling?"

Kero focused a moment, and nodded, "We need to find Sakura and Xiao Lang."

"You will find the two, and bring them here. My body still isn't strong enough to go on adventures. Should I get recovered soon enough, I will join you… but I think the other way will be faster."

Nodding, Kero said, "Why are you eyes changing?"

"Yukito and I now are able to share the body at the same time. It must be a result of Sakura's power; it must have grown immensely these past years. We should not waste time… however, Kero, be warned, those two have no memories of the past twelve years. I think that they will get them back… but at this point, it is too early to tell."

"I understand. I will find them and hopefully their memories can be returned." Kero made to turn back to the air vent, when he was stopped by the voice of Yukito.

"Kero-chan, please keep Sakura safe. I don't want anything to happen to her. Let her know I'm alive."

"I will."

oOoOo

"Tomoyo…" Eriol whispered as he ran a hand over a photo. The girl's smile was frozen in time in the picture he had of her. The girl had done her job well, while she was alive. She had kept the secret of everything that had gone on when they were ten years old. For some reason, when Xiao Lang's mother had worked with him to seal away all of Clow's magic, and Sakura's, the girl's memories had remained intact.

Before the work they had done could be undone by careless words, Eriol had returned to Japan and spoke with her. They had agreed not to destroy the video tapes or the magical staff, but simply to hide them and keep them hidden. Since the magic technically did not exist, the staff would be untraceable by unwelcome beings. Tomoyo had been wise beyond her years, and not told a word to anyone, ever. Eriol had made sure they cut off ties, hoping that it would keep her from being tempted to tell.

Her death had been a devastating blow to him, and since then, he did not try to talk to any women. The man hoped that her death had a role in all of this; because she was the only one that Sakura remembered who was connected to everything.

Summoning a small amount of magic, he thought her name repeatedly, '_Tomoyo… Tomoyo…_' Having his magic returned did have some advantages.

Opening his blue eyes, he stared at a ghostly image of her standing in his office, "Hello Eriol-kun." She said softly.

"Tomoyo-chan…"

"You are being risky here, calling me."

"I'm afraid that things are going to get dangerous here. I need to know that…"

Tomoyo cut him off, "Eriol-kun, you know better. To mess with fate is wrong. Look at the price that was paid by trying to control it the first time. Many memories were forgotten, happiness, anger, love. And all the same, the threat has resurfaced. I cannot tell you what I know. I can only interfere as much as fate allows me."

Her transparent figure glided closer to him, and she stared at him, "Sakura and Xiao Lang are safe… for the moment. They are together. Your little bullet was unnecessary."

"I was only trying to reverse what was done."

Sighing, she shook her head, "Eriol-kun, her memories are meant to come back in their own time. Now she suffered unnecessary pain, and that serum only did a little good. Don't try to interfere unnecessarily. You have done well to keep Yukito-kun alive. That is something you were meant to do. Regardless of interference, things will happen the way they should. The only good thing that came out of this is that Sakura's power is stronger. I must go now…" She looked at him a moment, and added, "It was good to see you again. But don't go calling me when you don't need to. See you later."

In the blink of an eye, her spirit disappeared, and Eriol was in his office alone again. Sitting back in his chair, he pulled out the Clow book. Opening the cover, he saw the empty place that the Sakura Cards should have been in. They had disappeared years ago, and he had no idea where they were now. He had a feeling, that the cards were no longer needed, and that the power they held was simply transferred into Sakura's blood.

oOoOo

The car ride to Tomoeda was much the same as the one from the airport, silent. This time however, the silence was awkward on both sides. Sakura could not get the thought of Xiao Lang seeing her naked out of her head. Xiao Lang, on the other hand, kept replaying the image of her helpless body sprawled against the bathtub frame.

As they were driving down the streets of Tomoeda, Sakura saw the familiar Penguin Park, where she and her friends had played many times. However, as they drove by, she remembered a day where she and her friends had walked by the little pond.

"_It's changing there."_

_Tomoyo pointed at the water as it began to ripple. All the girls seemed to be amazed and then Sakura gasped in shock._

"_It was a woman!"_

"_I saw a big thing with one eye!"_

"_A squishy thing with some ears!"_

"_I saw a king penguin floating there."_

The memory flashed forward.

"_My mother would not hurt me!" Sakura was in the water, fighting against an illusion of her mother. As soon as she said that, the illusion faded and turned into a decorative sign. _

_An orange creature shouted out, "It's a Clow Card!"_

"_Return to your original form! Clow Card!" Sakura yelled, while holding a staff of sorts. Tomoyo was off to the side video recording the whole thing. _

"_That's the Illusion Card."_

Sakura blinked her eyes rapidly, shaking the image out of her head, '_That's strange… that's the first time I remember something like that…_' And while the memory was new, it felt like it belonged in her head, something precious that she should hold dear to herself.

By the time she was brought out of the memory, they had already driven past the park, and were continuing down the familiar streets. Xiao Lang had been in a similar predicament, feeling like the town was familiar, and not knowing why. He seemed to know where they would turn next, before they even turned, as they headed towards their destination.

His people had already notified him that Sakura's home was empty at the moment; her father was busy on a dig in Egypt, while her brother was in a different part of the country. Her house was where they were going.

Finally, the car pulled to a stop, and Sakura saw her childhood home. It was the first time she had been there in four years. The empty driveway reminded her that she would most likely not see her father, as he was abroad. The last time she had seen him, she had hugged him good-bye at the Narita Airport as he headed for Egypt. Her brother, however, could stop by at any time, since he was only in Kyoto.

Stepping out of the car, she was followed immediately by Xiao Lang. The trunk was popped, and he grabbed her bag, as he had done in Tokyo. By now, the sun had already set, and the dark sky had stars twinkling above. Sakura thought, '_It has been one long day._'

She walked up to the front door of her vacant house, and looked about the door frame. Finding what she was looking for, she reached her hand to a notch on the side of the door, and pulled out a key. Placing it in the lock, it turned without resistance, and she smiled as she placed the key where she had found it. Some things never changed. Opening her door, she entered the building, and removed her shoes.

Strangely enough, her house slippers were exactly where she had left them when she was eighteen. Her father had kept things as if she were to return at any time. He understood why she did not want to come home, but he still hoped. Removing her shoes, she shook out the slippers of any dust, which they lacked, and placed the pink shoes on her feet. Gesturing to the guest slippers, Sakura said, "You can use those while we're here."

Without another word, she grabbed her back from him, blushing when her fingers brushed his, and then headed upstairs towards her room.

When she disappeared up the wooden stairs, Xiao Lang took off his shoes as well and finally stepped foot inside the house. He noted the simple, but cozy layout and began to look around. When the gang leader decided to head up the stairs, he got an ominous feeling, that something bad was about to happen.

oOoOo

"Go ahead and send Kotaro. I want that power back."

"Yes, Lady Evelyn."

The woman with long black hair was sitting on a floor cushion, now dressed in an elegant, black kimono. Her piercing black eyes met the gaze of her servant. Her facial features resembled a mixture of European and Asian, their conversation was in English.

The servant was dismissed with the wave of a hand, and the lady leaned against the low table on one elbow, as she took a drag from her cigarette.

"I'll be damned if that traitor Clow's descendants get to keep everything that that man took from me." Her eyes had a strange, crazed look in them as she took another puff, "I will regain my power to control the elements of the earth, and the power to change fate."

She crushed the end of her halfway smoked cigarette in the ashtray, '_At least the man did not take away everything. I've worked for years to try and remove that damn seal the Li's created, and now I have been successful. I will get my revenge._'

oOoOo

Sakura stared in her little bedroom, everything the way she left it. Her father seemed to have kept things clean and free from dust, as the room did not smell from lack of use. As she sat down on her bed, she began to feel worried. Something was not setting right with her.

She heard a floorboard creak, and turned her head towards the door, "You can come in if you want." Sakura had decided that since the man had not hurt her, or tried to take advantage of her, he was okay. Even though he was yakuza, she gave up trying to stay distant from him. The memories that she had seen made her believe she was someone she once knew.

He stepped into the room with a sheepish grin, "Sorry, just trying to familiarize myself with the house. I need to know all the possible ways out." He saw a dismayed look on her face, "Just in case."

Suddenly, the worried feeling she had became ten times worse, and just as she was about to say something, Xiao Lang said, "Hide. Someone's here."

'_Oh, by the way, when you get scared, just hide under the bed, and you'll find that your fear goes away.'_

Tomoyo's words flashed through her mind. Rather than doubting her best friend's words, Sakura took the advice and scrambled under the bed as Xiao Lang exited the room. When she glanced under her bed, Sakura spotted multiple video tapes stacked up, and an interesting staff with a star on the top laying there, "What?"

oOoOo

Xiao Lang was blocked from the stairs by a person dressed in a black suit. The light blonde hair on the male figure blew around his feminine face, he grey eyes staring intensely into Xiao Lang's, "If you would be so kind as to move to the side, I am here to retrieve something."

"I don't think so."

"That, Li Xiao Lang, is a mistake. You may be a descendant of that rat Clow, but you cannot be more powerful than me. I am Kotaro, and you can't even meet me in power."

oOoOo

Sakura reached a hand out to the staff, and hesitated before making the final inches to touching it. As soon as her hand grasped the stick, a flutter of images entered her mind. It was as if something important that was missing was suddenly returned. The fear that Sakura had felt moments ago disappeared, as she felt things were right again. She closed her green eyes momentarily, trying to process all the information she was being returned, and clenched the staff even tighter, making her knuckles turn white.

oOoOo

Xiao Lang ducked when the one who called himself Kotaro blew a white orb at him, barely missing it. The powerful gust forced the ball through the wall, creating not only a loud bang, but a hole the size of a baseball in the wall.

He cursed, and attempted to throw a punch. Xiao Lang was not quite sure what to do. He knew about magic, his family had taken a whole year of memories away from him, sealed off his own magic, and now he felt powerless. He never expected a magical battle.

"Stop what you're doing!" He heard Sakura's voice cry out. Turning both of their heads, they were greeted with the figure of Sakura in her door. She had a pink staff in her hands, and her green eyes glinted with a hidden power, "You came here for this right?" She asked.

"Are you willing to give me something so easily girl?"

"I think not. You are evil, and I will not allow you to hurt him." She stared down at the staff, "You want my power? You cannot have it." She focused a moment, and suddenly, the staff crumbled away in a powdery substance.

Kotaro's face twisted in horror, "YOU BITCH!" He forced an orb at her, and Sakura attempted to move out of the way. However, she did not have the martial arts training Xiao Lang did, and the ball hit her in the shoulder.

Sakura gasped in pain, her hand clenching her bloody shoulder, "You cannot win." She whispered, "I call upon the power of the Fire, please aid me in this battle." The girl felt terrible that she was about to tear up her childhood home, but she would rather do that than give up her powers to the wrong person.

"No! How dare you try to defeat me." Sakura's eyes glowed brightly as fire began to blaze around her hands. Forcing the flames out towards Kotaro, she tried to hit him dead on. Her aim was off, but she still managed a good hit in the stomach. The enemy huddled over in pain, before aiming another power at her, sending Sakura to her feet.

Xiao Lang looked on as the two began to attack each other, Sakura periodically changing the power she was using to another card. One blast forced Kotaro to tumble down the stairs, and Sakura followed him, "You are causing me to ruin my home!" She called upon the power to erase, and aimed a finger at him, "Good-bye, evil creature. Erase!"

Before the power could hit Kotaro, he sent one final attack, causing Sakura to fly back, unconscious. Xiao Lang watched as Kotaro faded from existence, then ran to the girl, "Kinomoto! Wake up, come on."

oOoOo

So…… what'd you guys think? Things are starting to get interesting? Who's this Evelyn chick? Why, she's the antagonist! She is an OC, HOWEVER, I have created her with her own ties to Clow. You will learn what they are later on. So, I suck at action scenes, so sorry if they weren't interesting.

Thank you SOOO MUCH for all the wonderful reviews I have received. Over 20 reviews for only three chapters in my first CCS fic? I'm so happy. And I have over 1,000 hits. I tried to respond to all of the reviews. If I didn't, it's cause I was sick. I have been SOOO SICK these past two weeks or so. The first time was stupid allergies, the second time I got a bad nasty infection. But I'm all better now. ^_^ Anyway, I hope to get more reviews this time, because I like to know what people think.

I'll try to update soon but it's almost finals time so we'll see.

Thanks again guys!

-Hotaru


	5. Chapter 5

"Kinomoto! Sakura, wake up damnit!" Xiao Lang shook her shoulders. When his hands came off her he saw the blood on his hands, "Alright stupid, stop the bleeding first." He tried to look at the damage. The shoulder wound was not so bad, but her abdomen had a nasty, and bloody, wound. He removed his shirt and tied it tightly around her waist. The pain caused her to cry out.

Green eyes opened wide as her mouth pursed in pain. Tears filled them, one spilling over, "It hurts so bad! What's wrong with me?" She tried to look down, but Xiao Lang lifted her chin to look at him.

"Don't worry about that. I know it hurts but you're going to be fine." He cursed for getting an innocent girl involved in this type of mess. She was too pretty for her body to be flawed in such a way. He reached into his pocket, wiping his hand on his pants, and pulled out the phone. He dialed, "We need the doctor, and a clean up crew at the house."

The person on the other line said they would be there in five minutes and he hung up, "Sakura, the doctor will be here in a minute. He checked the shirt tied around her. The blood wasn't soaking it through so he decided the bleeding was controlled, "Just stay awake okay?"

"Xiao Lang…" She whispered, "Why didn't I remember you?" Her eyes had an unfocused look in them.

"What do you mean remember?"

"When we were ten… Clow cards…" She started to doze off. Xiao Lang looked at her slightly confused, '_What does she know that I don't?_'

Shaking her again he said, "Don't pass out. Once the doctor gives you the okay you can go to sleep okay?"

Nodding slowly, Sakura opened her eyes again, "It just hurts really bad… and I can't fix it. Why? I'm trying to do it myself but it's not working."

"What's not working?"

"Magic…"

oOoOo

Kero flew as fast as he could to Tomoeda. He sensed a disturbance at his charge's house and knew that was where she would be. He could feel her using her magic. The roofs of familiar houses finally came to his sight and he spotted the most familiar. He saw a car racing down the street towards it and urgency filled the guardian. Flying down to his destination, Kero saw a man in a black suit emerge from the car. He clutched a bag in his hand with a cross on it, "She's hurt," He whispered. Spotting the open door, he flew in and saw Sakura lying in the arms of her childhood love Xiao Lang.

oOoOo

"_Tomoyo-chan, what's going on?" Sakura asked her best friend as they sat on a blanket in a park._

_Softly sighing, Tomoyo replied, "I'm almost glad that the things that were sealed away have been released."_

"_By things you mean magic right?"_

"_Yes. For over ten years, the magic of Clow has been sealed away. I was sworn to secrecy when this happened. My memories were supposed to be erased but for some reason they weren't. Along with Eriol-kun."_

"_Do you know why?"_

"_I have no idea why I didn't loose them. But I think that since Eriol-kun is the incarnation of Clow himself, he was null to the memory loss. But he did still loose his magic." _

_Sakura sat there pondering a minute, her knees folded up to her chest, "It's strange. Seeing Xiao Lang with my memories back… I like a man I don't know."_

"_He has not received his memories. I only hope it doesn't take too long."_

"_I can't believe I forgot him…"_

"_When you are a child, it is easier to let go of things. Perhaps since your feelings were not strong enough. And the people who sealed the power were much stronger than you are now. Your magic was not as strong then too."_

_Leaning her head against her shoulder, Sakura added, "It's kind of scary. He's in the yakuza, one of the leaders. I'm supposed to be terrified of these people and yet he makes me feel safe."_

"_Love will do that to a person." The two sat in silence for a few minutes, Sakura red in the face, '_Love? Who said I loved him?_'_

"_That hurt!" Sakura sat up in shock, clutching her side._

"_Looks like our time is up. You need to wake up, and get better. They're fixing you up right now."_

"_But, Tomoyo-chan, I don't want to go."_

"_Sakura, don't worry. We'll see each other again. We are best friends right?" Another stabbing pain dug into Sakura, causing another whimper. When she looked up, Tomoyo was gone. The park began to fade into darkness. The darkness became redder, as light filtered through her eyelids._

oOoOo

"Aahh…" Sakura mumbled groggily. Another stab. She reached out, as she opened her eyes, and noticed two figures hovering above her. Everything appeared fuzzy, and she tried to sit up. Strong hands held her down, and one figured knelt down, "Sakura, we're almost done, try not to move." Reaching up one hand, she gripped one of Xiao Lang's, "Don't go."

"I'm not going anywhere." He said.

Stab. Flinching, Sakura squeezed tighter. Things began to become more focused, and she saw that the other figure was working by her side with needle and thread, "I think I'm going to be sick…"

"All done." The man stood to his full height, and Xiao Lang nodded at him, "Good work. Check your bank account in the morning, you will be getting a nice bonus."

"Thank you, Li-sama. Just let me get the wound covered-"

"I'll do it. Just leave the material. She's not leaving my sight anytime soon."

"Yes sir." Grabbing a bag, Sakura saw the man leave the room.

When they were alone, Xiao Lang said, "Alright, we're slowly going to get you sitting up so I can get the stitches covered okay? Careful with the shoulder. That one needs to be bandaged, but it's no longer bleeding.

A tear streaked down a cheek, shoulders trembling, and Xiao Lang wiped it away with the padding of his thumb, "Hey, it's really not that bad. My doctor is the best. There won't be much scarring. You won't be able to tell."

He got Sakura sitting up, and then began the process of wrapping up her wounds. Sakura was clad only in her bra and skirt, and to try to get her mind off the pain, she thanked herself for wearing a sports bra. Although, she noticed that Xiao Lang was carefully controlling his gaze while he was working.

"You don't remember me?" She asked.

Xiao Lang glanced up, and then back to the wounds, "No. But you seem familiar. It's strange. I've been doing some research into my past, and you seem to coincide in several places."

"Your memories are sealed."

"Yes, my clan sealed away magic and memories many years ago. I've been trying to the get memories."

"You'll get them," Sakura firmly said, "I have mine back. The Clow magic has been returned as well. I don't know if any of what I'm saying makes sense to you, but hopefully it does."

"So you remember me?" Xiao Lang asked as he finished. He grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Yes…" She paused, "We… well, we were only ten, never mind…"

Xiao Lang gave her a questioning look, and she quickly added, "It's not important. The main thing is that we managed to get the power of the Clow cards changed to a power of my own. The cards became Sakura cards."

Sweat was beading across her brow, and Xiao Lang said, "You need sleep. Just rest."

Before nodding in agreement, Sakura focused on his tattoo. He was still shirtless. She saw that the tattoo ran up his shoulder and onto his chest, stopping before the ribs. Cherry blossoms were entwined in the last bits of it. Before she could comment, though, exhaustion took over.

oOoOo

Kero watched as his charge fell to sleep. Noticing the man, he saw a syringe in his hand. He was putting some medicine in it and Kero focused and saw that it was a pain killer of sorts. Expertly, Xiao Lang inserted the needle into a vein and got the medicine in Sakura's veins.

He was still deciding whether or not to make his presence known when Xiao Lang looked straight at him, "What are you? Some crazy stuffed animal Kinomoto owns?"

oOoOo

A large fire blazed inside a building. It was controlled in the center of the room. A woman sat in front of it on a cushion. Sweat dropped down her brow from the intense heat. Her mouth barely moved as she softly muttered Chinese phrases, her hands folded neatly in front of her. Finishing, she opened her eyes and stood. As she slid open a shut door, someone approached her with a towel, "Li-sama, a towel to wipe your face."

"Thank you."

"Well, do you think it was successful?"

"We will know in twenty-four hours. If it did, as his mother, I will know."

The servant followed quickly behind the woman. They were walking down a richly decorated corridor, when they stopped in front of a large painting. The brush strokes revealed a man with kind, cunning eyes, glasses giving him a refined look, "Clow, I hope your reincarnation knows how to solve our problems. Your records failed to indicate that _woman_ in them."

oOoOo

Kero quickly dodged Xiao Lang as he tried to grab him.

"Just a moment! I am Kero, the guardian of Sakura."

Xiao Lang narrowed his amber eyes, "And how do I know you are not lying to me?"

Kero sweat dropped, thinking, "Just wait for her to wake up! She'll tell you who I am! I'll go wait on her desk and not move, I swear." Kero knew this man was dangerous, no longer the naïve child of ten years.

"If I see you even twitch, I'll wring your tiny little neck." Kero flew expertly to Sakura's desk and sat. He heard hammers from outside the room, repairing the damage done during the fight. A clock ticked somewhere in the house, as Xiao Lang watched Kero suspiciously; with curiosity.

"What do you know about me?" Xiao Lang asked after a while.

Kero blinked, "Well, you are Li Xiao Lang, a descendant of my former master Clow Reed. You were here at the age of ten, and although at first you tried to get the Clow Cards for yourself, you eventually began helping Sakura find them. In the end of it all, you returned to China, with the intention of coming back someday. But not long after, something caused all the magic to be sealed away, and I am here now."

"What was my relationship with Sakura?"

"You hated her at first, and then eventually grew to like her." Kero didn't want to reveal too much to Xiao Lang without Sakura telling him herself. He knew that the two had liked each other as children, but now they were adults. And he knew that adult love was much different than childhood love.

Nothing else was said for a long while. Xiao Lang relaxed, beginning to realize his stupidity in being suspicious of a stuffed animal look-a-like. He could easily pull out his gun and pull the trigger.

"Why did you get cherry blossoms in your tattoo?" Kero felt he might be treading dangerous waters, but if Xiao Lang wanted to hurt him, it would have already happened.

"I don't know." He resumed watching Sakura.

Silence engulfed the room, and an hour passed. The two listened as the clean up crew finished their work, heard a car door slam, and the workers sped off. Xiao Lang was brought out of his staring by the flutter of Sakura's eyes, '_Bout time she got up._' He had meant it when he'd told her she should sleep, but he hated being nice.

"What time is it?" She asked groggily, "How long have I been asleep?" She grimaced as she slowly sat up.

Kero spoke up, "Sakura, how do you feel?"

"You've been asleep over an hour. It's about eight in the evening." Xiao Lang told her bluntly.

Recognition dawned in her eyes as she saw her guardian, "Kero-chan! It's been such a long time!" She saw Xiao Lang send a death glare, "He's my guardian, Li, you don't need to act like you want to kill him…"

She had resumed her formalities with him, acting as if the past few hours had not happened.

"I didn't know who this thing was when he got here."

"Could you help me get up?" She asked brushing off the statement. Nodding, the man stood and grabbing her good arm, helped her to slowly stand.

"Don't make any sharp movements. The stitches won't last if you do." Sakura stared up at him and merely nodded.

Changing the subject, she said, "Under my bed, there is a box. Could you please get it for me. It's very important."

"What is it?"

"Just a bunch of video tapes."

Sakura made her way to the door, "I'm going to find something for us to eat. No doubt you're hungry." Without another word, she left the room, Kero in tow.

oOoOo

Evelyn was nibbling on the end of her tobacco pipe, staring at her garden. She had no doubt that her employee was dead. If he had succeeded, he would have returned by now. If not, either he had been killed, or killed himself in shame. The woman thought back to the days when she had managed to access the power to unlock the memories of her past life as Claire, one time consort to Clow Reed.

The way the young woman had felt when the magician had tired of her behind closed doors, and then failed to honor her for the work she had done to help him with his own. Claire had been just as skilled in the magical arts as Clow Reed had. And he had thanked her by leaving her on the doorstep of a man that had only been known to her as a cruel, lame excuse of a husband.

And now, in this new life, Evelyn had witnessed the love between Kinomoto Sakura and Li Xiao Lang as children, no matter how innocent, and raged internally. The boy was in actuality a direct descendant of Claire and Reed, but he was happy with this woman. Evelyn could not let such a love exist between them, when Claire had lost her own. None of Reed's descendants deserved happiness. None of them.

'_And that Kinomoto brat somehow managed to get all the power of the Cards! Despicable. That power was sealed by me! It belongs to me! Without me, Clow could not have created it!_'

Spotting one of her throwing knives, she grabbed it and threw it across the garden at a distant target. Several other knives were embedded into the picture pinned to the fence. When Evelyn had managed to find the location of the Clow Cards those twelve years ago, it was too late. They had been turned into Sakura Cards, and then when she was scheming a new plan to get the new powers, that wretched Li Clan had sealed everything off.

With time, however, she had trained herself to push through the barrier that was all the way in China, and had managed to break it all. Now she was prepared to get her full powers back, and send the only male descendant of Reed to hell.

"I suppose I'll need to think of a better way of getting at that Kinomoto girl. She is much stronger than I expected…"

oOoOo

Sakura watched the water boiling quietly. She had found some noodles in the pantry and decided that was the best bet. There was nothing in the house that could go bad, as her father usually kept perishable foods at home. Travelling year round made that a huge priority. She did not hear Li enter the room behind her and when he spoke, she nearly jumped.

"What are you cooking?"

Sakura whipped around face pale. The turn had caused a sharp pain.

"Be more careful. I don't want to have to call the doctor back."

"Well then you shouldn't scare me." She slowly turned back around to stare at the stove, "Where's Kero?"

"He's headed back to Tokyo to talk to a man named Hiiragizawa Eriol."

Giving the noodles a quick stir before turning off the burner, Sakura replied, "Oh. Eriol is in Japan? I thought he had been in England."

"That was over ten years ago. You have to remember, we're all grown up now."

Nodding quietly, Sakura walked to a cabinet and started to open it for the bowls, when Li simply reached over her head and grabbed them himself, "What did I say about moving? That shoulder needs to heal too. Just go wait in the living room, I'll bring the food. The video tapes are in there."

Twitching an eyebrow in anger, she turned around and did what was told. She thought, '_He's not the boy I liked when I was in elementary school. He is a man involved in the underworld and just my luck he happens to have magic in his blood. We'll take care of whatever evil person is after us and go our separate ways._' She refused to acknowledge the feelings from earlier in the day, when he had been taking care of her, '_Out of the whole day today, he's only been nice to you for about twenty minutes of it. The rest, an egotistical, dangerous bastard._'

Slowly sitting down on the couch, she saw the many tapes in the box. Grabbing one, she checked the date. It was dated to a little over twelve years ago. She saw Tomoyo's perfect handwriting scrawled across the label, "Fire Card!"

"Do you want to watch that one?" He asked as he entered the room. Sakura looked up.

"These videos are all from when we were ten. It may help you with your memories, watch them if you like." She leaned back and closed her eyes, '_I will not cry._' The tapes were making her suddenly nostalgic for her beloved friend.

She heard a clatter of dishes as they were placed on the coffee table, "Eat." Was all he said as he grabbed a tape, the earliest dated one, and then went over to the television, and hit play.

oOoOo

"Eriol-san, she's got it all back."

Looking up from his papers, Eriol pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and stared at Kero, "What do you mean all of it?"

"Her memories; her powers. I'm not sure to what extent her powers are at, but she did a lot of damage to her home. Someone attacked her."

"I see." Was all Eriol said. He looked back down at his research. It appeared to be a family tree, "Is there anything else? You really should be with her."

"Li will protect her. She got hurt but is okay. I think Sakura was trying to use her powers to heal herself but it wasn't working."

This got Eriol's attention, "Do you think she has the capability of healing? Without the staff, she can't do anything. Did she have it?"

"No, I haven't seen it… but she used some magic. I could sense it."

Leaning back in his arm chair, Eriol said, "Alright, here's what you do. Go stay with Yue for now. When he's fully recovered, I want you to go with him and fetch the two. They should be alright for now."

"Okay sir." The creature said.

oOoOo

Sakura had fallen asleep while Xiao Lang was watching video after video. They all were so familiar, but he couldn't get them to click in his head as things he had participated in. His childhood self appeared in several videos. His phone buzzed in his pocket.

"Yes?" He couldn't forget he had his own business.

"_Hello, Li Xiao Lang._"

"Who is this?"

"_I'm offended. How can you not recognize the voice of your old friend Kuma?_"

His eyes instantly narrowed, "What do you want? I thought we settled things last year, no more worries."

"_Well you see, we do have a problem. One of my men was just killed. And you know who I think was recruited to make sure that was done?_"

"I have no idea."

"_I think it was you Li-chan._"

"Well, Kuma, that's a great theory, but do you even have proof that it was my people?"

"_Actually, I could that smelly assassin and made sure he was taken care of with a bullet between the eyes. That man he killed was my brother. And I'll be damned if you get away with it. Know that I'll get you back. You hear me? You'll feel my pain._" The line went dead.

oOoOo

Well, that's all for that chapter guys! So sorry it took forever. I was in Japan studying abroad. But anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The romance will be starting up soon. More action etc., as well. We all must remember Li is in the yakuza and playing around with magic and memories does not mean he quits his job. So there will be some non-magic stuff in the plot too. I hope you guys will send me your thoughts! I appreciate it soo much! Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

oOoOo

WARNING: This chapter contains a few limes. ^_^ If you don't like those, well, you shouldn't be reading a story rated M. Enjoy.

oOoOo

An intercom went off at Eriol's desk, "Sir, there's a woman who says her name is Claire Reed here to see you."

Eriol looked up from his studying at that name, "Send her in."

"Yes sir."

The young man unlocked a drawer and put the papers he had been scrutinizing in it, and then made sure it locked back. Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, he prepared for a woman he had not been reminded of in centuries, '_Could she be the reason for all that's going on right now?_' He had been doing some family research, the documents he had been studying were originals, and he had seen, magiked off the page, that name. However, hearing that name made it all the more real, and for once, Eriol was not sure what to do about it. He could not summon up a reason as to why the name was so dangerous to him.

When the door opened, his eyes widened at the woman in the door. She bore a pair of eyes shaped in a way that confirmed the things he was beginning to fear, "Hello Reed-san, how may I be of service to you?" He asked politely.

"Cut the bull-shit, Clow," She replied coolly in English, "I know that you know exactly who I am." She walked towards his desk, her hips swaying underneath the silk of her skirt, clinging in the right places, "Could it be that you are still in denial about the situation?"

Swallowing, without breaking eye contact, Eriol watched as she came around the corner and leaned close to him, "I go by Hiiragizawa in this time, Claire. I no longer practice magic, I am a business man."

Her black eyes bored down into his bright blue ones, "Hiiragizawa you say, I think I like your first name better, Eriol?" She cocked her head to the side, "It has a nice ring to it. My current name is Evelyn. And I highly doubt that you no longer practice magic. I can sense its aura around you. It is just as powerful as it was in our first lives." A trickle of sweat rolled down Eriol's temple to his cheek. He could not ignore the proximity of the view of the woman's cleavage, despite the fact that he could not remember exactly what had happened in the past; he definitely had memories of their more risqué encounters. He swallowed again, and came out of his trance.

"What is it that you want?" He asked. Evelyn leaned even closer to him, resting a hand near his lower extremities, and whispered in his ear, "Revenge for something past." She nipped his earlobe, and applied pressure to his groin, "I'm sure you will remember why, I've been looking for you for so many years."

He was stuck. Eriol wanted to move, but knew that if he did, it would give away the fact that Evelyn's administrations were having an effect on him, '_On second thought, she probably already knows that…_' He thought ashamedly, '_But it feels amazing._' He almost let out a sigh on contentment when Evelyn began to move her hand up and down, and she moved her nips down his neck, towards his collarbone.

Abruptly, Evelyn stopped her administrations, stood up straight, and walked to the window, "You really do have a nice view." Turning, Eriol tried to keep his composure.

"What is it that you want revenge for?" He needed to get as much information out of her as he could. Eriol feared that if the English woman tried to continue what she had started, he wouldn't be able to control himself; it had been far too long since he had shared the company of a woman.

Smirking, the lady replied, "Just know that all the power contained within those cards is not all yours to begin with. And I intend to take it back, and then some. Those children are so naïve." She walked back to him, "And you should know better." Patting his cheek with a slender hand, she added, "You will come to understand my revenge in more ways than one."

She grasped his hair in one hand and pulled his glasses off with another, and kissed him firmly on the mouth. Eriol let out a sigh and allowed her entrance when she pried with her tongue. Evelyn's skirt hiked up as she went to straddle him, moving her hips ever so slightly. He did not understand why he was allowing himself to kiss her so fiercely. Eriol wrapped an arm around her waist, and set her on the desk in a swift movement. He cupped her full breast in one large hand, caressing it, the other reaching down, working his way around her panties. Evelyn moved from his lips back to his neck and bit him hard, but he didn't care, '_She feels so good against me._' He thought, feeling her wetness between his fingers. He started to fumble with the buttons of her blouse when he heard something shatter as it fell to the floor.

Glancing down momentarily, he saw the fuzzy outline of a picture frame, '_Tomoyo!_' He froze his movements and pushed himself away from Evelyn, "Get out." A small smirk formed on her flushed lips, "We will be seeing each other again, Eriol. And perhaps next time, you will understand all of the reasons for my revenge. It is quite simple really." She fixed her skirt and checked her shirt, "Have a good day." She turned to leave, smoothing a stray hair, "And by the way, you might notice strange happenings with Sakura's magic. If you want to figure it out, come to me." And despite the fact that he was furious with himself for allowing things to go that far, he could not help staring at her swaying hips on the way out.

As soon as she exited he raced to the door, locked it and stared down at himself, "God damnit!" He shouted at his excited member, as if talking to it would help, "You stupid, stupid idiot."

Finding his glasses on the desk, he placed them back on, and then reached for the picture frame on the ground. The glass was shattered, but other than that, nothing was harmed, "Tomoyo, what do I do? You no longer live on this earth, so I don't expect you to expect me to be celibate the rest of my life… but I know that you'd be pissed with this situation." Standing the picture back where it belonged, he leaned back in his chair, "She's the fucking enemy! Now I need to figure out why." The fact that she knew who Sakura was did not even occur to him in his foggy thoughts.

oOoOo

Evelyn was quite happy with her new plan. The encounter with Eriol had been quite a success. She had not expected things to go quite that far with the man, but nonetheless, she had aroused his curiosity, and then some, "That man will come begging for more information." The plan was simple in her head, get Eriol to try to find out things from her, tell a few white lies, have him fall for her, then break his heart and leave him crying in the rain. All at the same time, this would allow her to find out Xiao Lang and Sakura's weaknesses, and at the right moment, steal back her magic, and then kill the girl, leaving Xiao Lang to a broken heart as well, never to be happy again.

The woman's only worry was that Sakura would figure out how to control the most powerful magic before Evelyn could get it back, but patience had served her well up until now, and would serve her a bit longer.

oOoOo

_Sakura was in a world filled with flower petals. They continued to fall all around her like snow, and a never ending stream. She spun around and round, a smile on her face, "Oh, it feels so nice here. I never want to leave."_

"_Wake up," She heard the flowers say. _

_Shaking her head, she replied, "No, I don't want to." Suddenly the petals began to shake her, "Come on Kinomoto, time to get up."_

Opening her green eyes, she stared up into Xiao Lang's, "Oh, it's you." She firmly shut her eyes again, trying to go back to her peaceful flower petal world.

"No. We need to leave now. Call your assistant and let her know that you made it to Tomoeda. I'll get your bags in the car."

Confused, Sakura replied, "And why are we leaving? We just got here!?"

The young man sighed in annoyance, "Damnit Kinomoto, can you please just do what I say? I'm trying to keep us alive here."

His words seemed to click in her head, "I can take care of dangerous magic!"

"That's not what I meant. Just go get a decent shirt on, get in the car and make the call!" He was nearly shouting, giving her a death glare. The tattoo on his arm rippling as his muscles flexed in restraint.

Sakura realized suddenly that he must mean that the danger involved Yakuza business. Nodding, she ran quickly up the stairs to rummage through her old closet for something, with him shouting at her to not pop her stitches. Earlier she had thrown on a loose button down to replace the bloody remnants of her clothes, but it was a large shirt and was not something to be worn in public. The girl blushed in realization that Li had seen her pretty much naked twice in one day.

Finally finding something, she pulled on the pair of jeans, moving carefully, and a loose T-shirt. Not willing to risk the wrath of Xiao Lang, she went down the stairs as quickly as possible, slipped her shoes on and then spotted the new vehicle in the driveway. It was a simple sedan, with dark tint. Sliding into the passenger side, she noticed her small handbag on top of the middle console.

Pulling out her cell phone, she flipped it open and saw that there were several missed calls. Three from Kasumi, one from her brother, and another was unknown. Immediately, Sakura called Kasumi, thinking that the most important. The phone rang once and the voice of her faithful assistant met her ear, despite the late hour, "What the hell is going on Sakura-chan?!"

She waited a moment as Kasumi went on and on about how worried she was and that she didn't know what had happened to her. After a minute, Kasumi finally stopped talking, and Sakura said, "Well, do you feel better now that you have that out of your system, Mi-chan?"

"Don't ever scare me like that again Sakura! Now what happened?"

Sakura decided to give Kasumi a very short, safe version of the story, "Well, I was so scared when guns went off. The man in the elevator decided that since it was him being the reason I was shot at, he sent me to the airport and on a ride home. I'm safe and sound. He's connected to the government so he made sure I am to remain safe."

"How do you know he is really with the government?"

"He has the I.D. Mi-chan. Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm just laying low for a bit. I went ahead and came to Tomoeda to relax for a few days, 'kay? You finish things up on your side of the country, promise?"

Kasumi sounded reluctant, but agreed to what Sakura requested. Then Sakura decided to steer the conversation to something that would make Kasumi feel safer about Xiao Lang, "He's very handsome, you know, and very kind. He did pay for my plane ticket home."

"Does someone have a crush?" The two girls chatted a moment, and then Sakura finally hung up. She wanted to puke. She may have loved Xiao Lang as a child, but remembering the more annoying sides of his adult personality, she had hated every moment of sucking up to Kasumi with sappy romantic talk.

She saw Xiao Lang make his way towards the car a moment later, as she finished an email message to her brother, and shut her phone. The man lowered himself into the car swiftly and turned the key in the ignition, "Did you lock the door?" Sakura inquired.

"Of course," He replied, "Did you call the assistant?"

"Of course," Sakura mocked, "And I had to make her think that you worked for the government and that I liked you to get her to stop worrying." Leaning back to a more comfortable position, she shut her eyes, "Where are we going anyway?"

"Don't worry about it." He replied back, "And you had to _pretend_ you like me?"

Snapping back, Sakura said, "Don't be so full of yourself. I may have liked you when I was a kid, but I don't like you very much now."

Xiao Lang kept his mouth shut, but his thoughts were churning, '_This could be a bit more fun than originally intended._' He smirked and then pulled out of the driveway. The ride wasn't going to be all that long. They were headed out to one of the safe houses that he owned personally. Only those he most trusted knew of the place. He did not have time to deal with Kuma directly at the moment, and he decided that falling off the planet for a few days until he could figure things out might be for the best. It would give the girl some time to heal, and him some time to work on his memories. And in the mean time, try to see how much he could annoy her.

Inside, he had called one of his men and told them to try and cut a deal with Kuma. Xiao Lang doubted that money would satisfy the man's blood lust, but it would perhaps buy the two some time to be absent without suspicion on his part. Glancing to the left, he noticed the girl was asleep again. The clock said one in the morning, and he didn't doubt that she was exhausted. He was exhausted, and there was still an hour drive left at least. Focusing on the road, he let his mind churn over the videos he had watched for the past few hours.

Sakura was in each and every one of them, dressed up in an elaborate outfit, capturing a card. The later the date, the more often he had appeared. Xiao Lang almost couldn't believe that it was him, but there was no doubt about it. The boy in the movies was him. All he needed to know now was _why_ the family had done so much to hide the magic away, and keep anyone from finding out what had happened, '_Damnit mother, what the hell did you do this for?_'

oOoOo

The sound of loud humming and a vibration shook Sakura out of her sleep, adrenalin pumping, "What the hell!? Li!" She reached over and turned the steering wheel so that the car was back in its lane.

"I'm fine," He stated calmly, "We're almost there."

Looking at him, she glared, "You are _not_ okay. That could have killed us. Pull over."

"No."

"I said _pull over._"

"Kinomoto, I'm fine."

"Just do it!" Amber eyes glared over at her, and he spotted the turn off he was looking for on the side of the road. Pulling the car off of the main road, he put it in park and turned to glare at her some more.

"Happy? I stopped the car."

"I'm driving the rest of the way, and you will give me directions. I'll be damned if I survive a magical attack and then get killed thanks to my driver sleeping at the wheel," He looked at her about to say something, but was cut off, "And what the hell? Why don't you have someone driving us like you've had all day? Especially since you're tired!"

"Are you finished?" He asked calmly. Sakura looked up at him, and did not say anything, "Well I'm glad to let you drive the last two kilometers down this driveway to the house. And I drove because I don't want anyone to know where I am for the next two days or so."

"Well doesn't that sound creepy. How do I know you don't plan to rape me?"

More annoyed now than anything else, Xiao Lang said, "If I had wanted to rape you I could have done that multiple times today, you might remember." Sakura's face flushed bright red at the memory of waking up naked next to him, "This is for safety's sake. You forget I am at the top in the Yakuza world. It's not the magic I'm worried about at the moment."

"Are you saying you're trying to protect me from your opposing goonies?"

Looking at the girl, the way she was sitting against the corner created by the door and the seat, made her look tiny, and vulnerable. Impulsively, Xiao Lang reached a hand out, and reached behind her neck, forcing her forward, "Would that make you angry?"

Emerald eyes gazed up at him, and her brows narrowed, "I don't know, I haven't decided yet." She snapped. Before she could pull away, however, warm lips crushed onto hers. Sakura froze, not knowing how she should react to him kissing her. He grasped locks of hair betwixt his fingers, and pulled her closer to him. Shock fading away, Sakura began to kiss back, hesitantly. A light touch here, a light one there. Her eyes closed, as she began to pay attention to the feel of his lips upon her own. They were soft, yet harsh.

Xiao Lang deepened the kiss when he noticed her no longer resisting, and took in her sweet taste, thoroughly enjoying himself. Sakura's fingers began to tentatively touch his still bare chest. Her thumb unintentionally ran over one of his nipples, resulting in a sharp intake of breath. Immediately, she removed her hand from his chest, but a strong hand grasped her wrist, "Don't stop," He managed to breathe, and then continued his kisses. She ran her fingers across his abdomen now, feeling the hard muscles that were underneath the thin layer of skin.

A wandering hand from Xiao Lang brushed up against her wound, causing Sakura to flinch back in pain. Pulling back immediately, he put the car in gear and hit the gas. He was breathing heavily, as was she, and they drove up the rest of the drive in silence.

The car pulled up to the silhouette of a fairly small house, and as the two got out, Sakura finally spoke, "I've decided. It would make me angry."

oOoOo

Well everyone, hi! I'm not dead. What crazy days these are what with earthquakes in Haiti and Chicago, freaky winter weather in the South, and crazies crashing planes into IRS buildings 30 minutes north of me. Geez! I'm really sorry it has taken me so long to update. School, work, and design commissions = very time consuming. And I'm also starting a complete edit of Butterfly Kisses. I wrote that back in high school and would like to work out some kinks in the plot and character development. So if you're interested, the original version is still online, so please go check it out on my page!

Now, how about some lime here?? If anyone can give me their thoughts I'd really appreciate it. There's a bit more plot development in this chapter. What has Evelyn got up her sleeve? And will Xiao Lang survive the isolation with an angry Sakura? And when will magic pop up next? Well, next chapter I think will be headed into a more constructive development in plot, as well as Sakura and Xiao Lang's relationship. Oh, and don't kill me for Eriol getting it on with Evelyn.

Please review and give me your thoughts everyone! Your support is greatly appreciated!! Love you guys.

-Hotaru


	7. Chapter 7

A steamy chapter for all! Includes lime/fluff between Sakura and Xiao Lang, as well as Eriol and Evelyn. This chapter is rated M. Enjoy!

oOoOo

Yue sat at a table sipping a cup of coffee. His eyes studied Evelyn from behind dark glasses. His hair has already grown to his shoulders, but he covered it with a hat.

"Why are you provoking Eriol?" He asked her. The guardian had regained nearly all his strength. He had sensed Evelyn in the building and chosen to follow her.

A soft smile lit up her lips, "Maybe I want to rekindle an old flame."

Shaking his head in disagreement, Yue spoke, "I highly doubt that. Magic has just been released and then you pop up? It's too much of a coincidence in my opinion."

Laughing, she replied, "Yue, you don't know what is going on in my head. I want Eriol. And don't think about getting in my way. Don't follow me again. Guardian or not, I can crush you."

oOoOo

A day passed. And then another. Sakura was glued to the library of the small building, refusing to speak to Xiao Lang. He, on the other hand, was on the phone constantly, trying to make a deal with Kuma in a non-violent way, but was having a hard time of it.

The fact that she was not speaking to him made the matter more frustrating. Flipping his phone shut, he threw it towards the couch and made his way to the library. Xiao Lang had been getting memories back as the past two days had gone by, and he was tired of the behavior. She could be mad at him all she wanted because of a stupid kiss, but he would be damned if she stone walled him. Especially when he knew she had wanted that kiss.

Opening the door, Sakura looked up startled, "Oh, it's you." She looked back down at her book and resumed reading. Making his way towards her, he snatched the book out of her hand, and threw it across the room, "You can't seriously still be mad at me?" Green eyes ignored him. He crouched down to her level and forced her chin up, "Look at me." His amber eyes flashed, "How can you be mad about a kiss you seemed to enjoy?"

Sakura stared at him, "I don't want to feel like I'm being forced into feelings for you just because we had a past relationship. It's as if I have no choice in the matter. I am different now than when I was ten, and obviously so are you."

She stood up, and made to leave the room, but Xiao Lang was too fast for her. He grasped her wrist and spun her around, "Don't you walk away from me." Sakura struggled in his grip, but the man was stronger than her, "Just because my occupation is not necessarily a safe one, doesn't mean I have no honor or that I don't care for people. I am a man. And I'll be damned if you compare me to some of the scum I work with."

"You are hurting me." His grip loosened around her wrist, but did not break. Sakura looked up, "I didn't mean to compare you to some of 'scum' as you put it. But the yakuza are dangerous, which means you are dangerous. You are not the little boy I fell in love with as a child."

"You are dangerous too." The words hit her like a rock, "You are probably more dangerous than I am. You destroyed the staff. You manipulate magic without the cards. You healed yourself from wounds." Sakura blanched, "I noticed the remnants of the stitches in the trash." He lifted her shirt up and pointed at the mark that was barely there, "I know who you are and what you are capable of. You are probably capable of more, and I know I will not need to fear that. I do not fear you. I am not the same boy, but neither are you the same girl. The love we had as children was the love of children. This is very different. Hell, at this point, I can't call it love. I was attracted to you before my memories began to return and it hasn't gone away. I think that is a sign, and I'll be damned if I let your fear get in the way of something that could develop into love."

Xiao Lang felt her trembling in his arms, but he ignored it and leaned down for a kiss. At first, Sakura did not respond, but as he released her wrist and wrapped his arms around her, molding her body to his, she began to relax a little. He moved his lips against hers, Sakura moved a hand to his cheek, "What have you done to me Li?" She whispered, gazing into his eyes, before she leaned in to return his kiss.

Sakura's other arm wrapped around his back as she pulled him towards her. She ran her the tip of her tongue along his lips and Xiao Lang deepened the kiss by delving into her mouth, savoring her taste. He lifted her up onto the desk, and wrapped her legs around him, wanting her to know what she was doing to him. He wanted her to feel him, but not touch him. He wanted to punish her for her judging him, but cause no pain. He knew exactly how to do that.

Pushing a hand underneath her shirt, he spoke, "What have I done to you, you ask?" He pressed a kiss to her earlobe, "I have made you want me." He lowered down to the hollow of her neck, "You crave me, and I will not let you have me until I feel you are punished." His hand reached her right breast, and he squeezed it through her cotton bra as he lightly bit the side of her neck. All Sakura could do was gasp in delight. She wanted him to unclasp her bra and feel her skin. She wanted to feel his bare chest against hers.

Moving her hands to his shirttail, Sakura began lifting up the material. Xiao Lang grabbed her arms and laid her down onto the desktop, her wrists held above her head in his hand, "No."

His lips met hers again, and he hungrily kissed her, tugging her bottom lip between his teeth, sucking on it, then releasing it as he returned to kissing her. His free hand moved between her legs and he felt her through the cloth of her exercise shorts. A whimper escaped Sakura's lips at the touch. Oh how she wanted him to feel her. She felt like her skin was on her fire, tingling everywhere he touched. The man moved his hand to the waistband and edged his fingers beneath it. Sakura took in a sharp breath at the unfamiliar touch. He resumed torturing her neck, suckling it and then breathing lightly on it. Sakura's breath began to hasten more, and he pulled his hand out from underneath the shorts, and then placed it on her thigh. He ran his hand up and down her smooth leg, and then finally up to her hip under her shorts. Running his hand inside her thigh, he smiled into her neck at the squirming of her arms in his grip as he ran his thumb along the panty line, feeling the heat and wetness through the thin material, "Please!" She gasped out as he came ever closer to her entrance. The moment she cried out he to his hand from where it rested and moved to grip her bottom. Giving it a firm squeeze, he released her, and stood back, "I don't think you are angry at me anymore." Sakura sat up on her elbows, breathing heavily. He flashed a grin when he spotted a nice mark on her neck and turned away from her, leaving her in the library to catch her breath.

oOoOo

Sakura stared at her neck in the mirror. She had tried to rub the mark and agitate the bruise so it would disappear, but it was already set, "Damn him." She whispered to herself as she began to fill the bathtub with steaming water. After he had left the room, it had taken her a good ten minutes to get her senses and her breath back. She had not seen him the rest of the afternoon. Removing her shirt, she remembered his touch on her breast as she saw her bra in the mirror. He had refused to touch her bare skin, and it had nearly driven her to insanity. When his hand had been so close to her she knew he felt her wetness, he had refused to break the barrier of cloth. And she had been unable to do anything about it. She had been unable to ignore his ministrations, or control her body's response.

The last of her clothes removed she saw the tub was nearly full, and immediately ran the shower water, washing her hair and body, scrubbing it clean. The feel of his touch still lingered. Turning off the shower head, she poured bath salts into the steaming water, hoping to unwind and relax. He brain was in a confused state.

'_He was right. I judged him and he sure as hell punished me for it._' Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back and released a breath. She knew that she was attracted to him, definitely could not deny it now, despite it all. He had hit all the key points in what he had said about danger and their past. The thing that bugged her above all things about the incident this afternoon, however, was his self control. When he had pushed up against her, she had felt his arousal. How had he managed to control himself? She had been ready to rip his clothes off by the end.

"Idiot, he was pissed at you and he said it, he wouldn't let me have him." Sakura said to no one, '_He had no intention of having sex with me in there, no matter how badly he wanted it._'

"Sakura!" She heard the person that consumed her thoughts shout through the outside door, "I got a phone call from Kero."

Sakura sat up in the tub, brought out of her reverie, "What did he have to say?"

"He says he found Yue and Eriol and that we need to get back to Tokyo. Looks like I'm going to have to settle my differences with Kuma sooner than expected. We leave tomorrow morning."

"Okay." She said slightly breathless, "Thanks for letting me know."

oOoOo

Locking up his office, Eriol sighed in relief. Sakura and Xiao Lang would be on their way to Tokyo the next day, and Yue was back on his feet. He stepped into the elevator and hit the ground level button. His trip was short and he exited the building as he began the walk back to his apartment. It was not far.

"Eriol," He heard a familiar voice say. Turning in the direction of the voice, his eyes lighted on Evelyn. She was wrapped in a pea coat that was longer than whatever she was wearing underneath. Her heels accentuated her long legs, and her long hair was curled. For a moment, he thought of Tomoyo.

Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

She walked up to him, and straightened his coat collar, "Why don't we get some dinner? I know a nice place not far from here." Evelyn glanced up with her eyes, and smiled seductively.

"Why would I do that? You made it quite clear we were the enemy the other day."

"Perhaps I was a bit rash," She commented, "My memories had just returned, I didn't know what to do with them. All I could think of was Claire. But now I…" She hesitated, "Now I think I can put it behind me. What happened in the past is the past. Why don't we start over? With our modern lives, things are different here."

Eriol gazed at her suspiciously, "How do I know you aren't playing a trick? How do I know you aren't just going to go after Sakura and Xiao Lang?"

"All I want is dinner. Just one meal and then you can decide. If you think you can't trust me after that, I won't ever bother you again." She smiled sweetly now, "I just want to get to know you as Eriol. Just Eriol." She pulled him into her and kissed him softly on the lips.

Eriol leaned in and responded to the kiss, '_Just dinner…_' He ran his fingers through the curls of her hair and felt that he couldn't resist her. She smelled so sweet, an intoxicating scent of flowers and spice, '_Just like her_…' He pulled away from her and said, "Dinner."

He grabbed her hand and let her lead him to the restaurant she had designated. Eriol couldn't focus on his food. She looked so inviting in her wrap dress. Evelyn talked about normal things, nothing about magic. All he could think of was the way she seemed completely different from the angry woman the week before. He knew he should not begin to trust her, but she seemed sincere enough. And he wanted her. She smelled good enough to eat, "Let's go somewhere more private." Eriol heard himself say. He knew he shouldn't have said that, but something in his mind told him it was alright.

Evelyn stared at Eriol across the table. She was pleased. She had made sure to not use any magic that he would notice. She wanted him to believe he was falling in love with her. As he began to fall for her, less of the magic would be used until it was purely him loving her. And she couldn't deny that she wanted the man, "Somewhere more… private? Are you sure?"

He nodded, "Yes. Let's go." He threw cash on the table and stood, "My apartment is a few blocks away." Grabbing their coats, he ushered her out of the restaurant and onto the streets. Within ten minutes, they were in the elevator and he couldn't wait any longer. He hit the stop key on the elevator and the lights dimmed, "Come here." He crushed her to him, and pushed her up against the wall, "I want you woman." He reached his hand to the bow that tied her dress shut, and pulled it loose. Her dress opened and revealed her naked body. He took her body in, her perfect curves. Eriol squeezed a breast with one hand and snaked a hand between her thighs. He lifted her up against the wall, and sunk a finger into her warmth without warning. Evelyn let out a gasp. She was already wet.

He kissed her as he plunged a second finger into her and used his thumb to massage her most sensitive place, "Eriol…" She whispered his name between a kiss. Evelyn pulled away from him, "You can't have me yet. Soon." She smiled at him. She leaned over and flipped the switch back to on. Eriol could barely contain himself as she tied her dress back. Her scent was intoxicating. The elevator opened on his floor and he walked her down the hall to his apartment and unlocked the suite. Pulling her inside, he slammed the door, flipped the bolt, and took off her coat, "Come here." He repeated the same command he had given her in the elevator. She smiled and grabbed her coat. She unlocked the door again, and said, "Don't be so hasty dear. Where's the fun in that?" And walked out the door.

oOoOo

The next morning, Eriol awoke in his bed, with a headache. He was wearing boxers and his glasses were on the bedside table. He thought a moment, trying to recall the night before. He remembered eating dinner with Evelyn, having a few drinks to many, and her walking him back to the apartment. The elevator, and her refusing him at the door.

Sitting up groggily, Eriol thought, '_I must have been drunk to allow her here… but she did refuse me… damn._' He still wasn't sure if he could trust the woman, but she had so far proven herself not to be malicious. Rubbing his face with his hands, he then remembered, "Crap… Sakura and Xiao Lang are gonna be back today." He decided to get up and get ready for the day.

oOoOo

Merry Christmas everyone! So if you remember Evelyn's plot for revenge… hehehe… anyway, hope you enjoyed. I will work to update soon!

Please leave me your thoughts everyone and hope you have a safe and happy holidays.

-Hotaru


End file.
